Prejudice is Old Fashioned
by funkyrandomer
Summary: Svetlanka Kranst is a resourceful thief with a very demanding client. After boarding the USS Enterprise for a mission, she finds herself questioning inherited prejudices after accidently confronting her ancient enemy: Khan. Set two years after Into Darkness. Khan/OC. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Well, I saw ****_Star Trek: Into Darkness_**** on Monday and I had no idea the story was going to pick me up and demand I write my own twist of it. So here it is, another Khan/OC story but with what I hope is something less obvious compared with some of the other stories I've seen on here. Let me know what you think and I apologise for any atrocious remarks which don't correctly coincide with Abrams Star Trek universe. **

* * *

**Old Foes Reunited.**

Captain Jim Kirk stared at the prisoner slouched against the wall of one of the USS Enterprise's security cells, the occupant of which had been taken into custody after something close to an intergalactic event had taken place on the planet Gorgoron. The mounting hysteria on said planet had resulted in its trading capital grinding to a halt over what he now understood to have been the result of a well thought-out (not to mention completely _ridiculous_) prank. There had been no sign of the bombs which had promised to bring down five well-populated buildings of economic importance in the planet's capital as stated in a threatening note to the mayor. Pretty quickly, a female had been identified as the prime suspect and when accused of spreading such antagonizing fear on purpose, the woman in front of him had automatically confessed. This alone made the Captain suspicious but as dictated by Starfleet code, he had placed the woman under arrest and had her taken aboard the Enterprise. The name she'd given had been Svetlanka Kranst (apparently the "k" in her first name was silent as she'd sworn profusely at his crew member who'd pronounced it with the "k" as he'd taken note of her personal details) and her species was human. Jim's eyes glanced at the slumped prisoner and he felt a knot of anxiety twist in his stomach as he took in her appearance.

_Human_.

Yes she had two eyes, one nose, one set of lips, a pair of ears, two arms, two legs, two feet and a torso in the correct place. Two hands with five digits caressed the end of her arms and her breasts were _definitely_ ample enough to place her in the female category…

_She's a prisoner Jim. _

These thoughts were forgotten when the captain's eyes returned to her face which was the source of his unease. A wild mane of brown hair fell over her shoulders and chased down the length of her spine, a few stray locks framing the visage where two vibrant green eyes nestled, eyes which seemed to have seen more than her twenty-eight year old physique might suggest. Her features were more angular than even the most proud supermodel; high cheekbones pressed firmly against her pale skin, a proud nose fell straight between her eyes and paused before a set of deeply coloured lips. A sharp jawline which would put even lieutenant Uhura to shame finished off the striking face.

He had no evidence to prove she _wasn't _human as she hadn't demonstrated anything of an abnormal nature, yet Jim had experienced too many compromising situations to ignore when his gut was telling him something was amiss. The captain internally rolled his eyes when he thought of what Spock might say in relation to his concerns; the contractions of stomach muscle was hardly evidence to argue the case for Svetlanka Kranst's eviction from the human race. However, Ms Kranst didn't have the same cold; metallic glare of the only person Kirk had ever met who looked like a human but whose humanity was dominated by a savagery beyond his understanding. The intelligent and deadly face of Khan flickered in his mind's eye and he reluctantly withdrew his analysis of Ms Kranst not belonging to the human race, her eyes held a warmth which had been lacking in the superhuman he'd met only two years previously. Expelling a long sigh, he straightened his shoulders and nodded to Svetlanka, turned abruptly and left the cell lobby before hurrying to check on his other prisoners.

* * *

Svetlanka watched the figure of Captain Kirk retreat from her cell and as soon as he'd left the long, straight room, she set to work. She unceremoniously plunged a hand into her bra and after a few tweaks, withdrew the wire supporting the left cup, wire which had been tipped with diamonds and if applied in the correct fashion with the right amount of force, would cut through almost any compound she was faced with in her cell. Her green, mossy eyes intensified as she crouched beside the clear cell door and began working on the concealed hinge of her prison, a hinge which very few people knew the existence of. Svetlanka had made it her personal mission in life to find out useful information which would help liberate her from situations with knowledge which couldn't be found in history books. Her very plan for after this door swung silently open without triggering any alarm was based solely on information she'd procured from interesting corners of the galaxy. It's what set her apart from other competitors in her field and made her quite simply: the best.

Svetlanka smirked as she recalled the Captain's perplexed expression as he'd observed her through the glass. He had no _idea _who she was, what her unusual skill set consisted of and most importantly – her true reason for boarding the Enterprise in the first place. He knew something was wrong but by the time he arrived at the correct answer, it would be too late to stop her. Svetlanka's attention was drawn to the task at hand when with a delicious _click _the hinge gave way beneath the diamond tipped wire and the glass door retreated, liberating Svetlanka with what appeared to be disgusting ease. She delicately hopped out of her prison cell and casually made her way down the corridor, knocking out a female guard enroute with a swift blow to the head. After switching her prison uniform with that of the knocked out woman, she jammed the guard's hat onto her head, pinning her long mane of hair beneath the tight confines of the hat. She lifted the guard's security pass, swiped it against the elevator and quickly pressed one of the basement levels where what she desired resided. The lift doors opened, revealing a corridor thronged with various crew members carrying out their duties, too absorbed in their activities to notice an extra face joining the crowd. Svetlanka knew that it was here where what she sought (or more correctly her _client _sought) lay hidden. If she was to give some credit to Captain Kirk, she might think him quite clever to hide the Pulmonary Vector in such plain sight as apparently; it would not attract suspicion and would be harder to steal as a result. Svetlanka however was a person who was rarely impressed and had seen this trick employed before: it would not fool her.

The corridor gave way to a room the size of two large cathedrals where an impressive array of weapons stood to attention in rows upon rows of cubicles, waiting with eerie patience to be fired upon some enemy of the Enterprise. Svetlanka ignored her desire to walk faster and if anything, slowed her walk to a casual saunter; she had no need to attract any attention from the surrounding crew when she was so close to her goal. Her wide green eyes flicked to the faces of all those passing her by, but there wasn't a hint of recognition – all members of Captain Kirk's crew appeared to be of the opinion that she was still downstairs in that poor excuse of a prison cell. She mounted a set of stairs, politely excusing herself when someone bumped into her on the stairs. 'No worries wee lassie!' came a cheerful reply before the owner of the voice continued roaring instructions down his flip phone, urging someone he called "Keenser" to do his job and stop climbing walls.

It took only another thirty seconds before Svetlanka's eyes finally rested on her true goal. As she approached the glass of what appeared to be housing an ordinary fire-extinguisher, she reflected for a moment on the delicate series of events which had taken place in order for her to find herself here. Sending the note to the mayor, provoking all of that hysteria, attracting the attention of the USS Enterprise _just _as it was passing Gorgoron not to mention the arduous research she'd conducted of this troublesome ship… Yes it had demanded careful planning to allow Svetlanka to gaze with an almost twisted smile at the fire extinguisher and after taking a moment to appreciate her journey, she set to work in liberating the vessel which contained the Pulmonary Vector. The alarms would go off this time and that unfortunately was an inconvenience which she would have to suffer through. Alarms irked Svetlanka, especially those which made that horrible, wailing noise sounding like a battalion of hounds chasing after whoever had dared to take something which some snooty board official had deemed "too dangerous" to be observed and used by the public. It didn't take long before her nimble fingers had prised the glass open, using a technique which she'd learnt from a seemingly primitive planet which happened to have a knack for opening panels on a face of rock, revealing secret cubby holes. Svetlanka stared at the open door for a moment before reaching in and plucking the fire extinguisher from its sturdy plastic holder.

BEEP

BEEP

BEEEEEEEEEEP

BEEP

BEEP

BEEEEEEEEEEP

_And so it begins. _Svetlanka thought as she concealed the fire extinguisher beneath her baggy uniform and proceeded to follow the crew members who were reporting to their assembly points in the incident of a fire. As she joined the crowd and began hurrying along the passage with feigned panic, she found herself in an elevator, rising to the top floor of the ship. She had to remind herself on several instances not to smile, she was in the middle of the chase and if she enjoyed herself too much, she might risk the threat of being _caught_.

She tried not to scoff aloud at the unlikely thought.

It wouldn't be long until the unconscious guard and her empty prison cell would be brought to the Captain's attention but with the evacuation of the crew into fire-proof segments of the ship taking up most of his attention, it would at least buy her a little bit of time. She exited out of the elevator and hurried to where she knew the captain's lounge would be and paused outside of the spacious room to eavesdrop.

'Spock, there's no fire is there?'

'No Captain, it appears the alarm was triggered by the special system you had installed on that particular fire extinguisher which is carrying our most dangerous cargo.' Silence greeted Spock's words as the Captain processed what this meant.

'So someone on-board _my _ship has on their person the Pulmonary Vector… is that what you're trying to tell me Spock?'

'It's the only logical conclusion to draw from the evidence provided. What are your orders Captain?'

'Find it Spock. Do whatever you have to.'

'Captain, where are you going?'

'To the prison cells, I know exactly who did this.'

'Shall I come with you –'

'_No_ Spock, I need you to find the Pulmonary Vector, do you understand?'

'…Yes Captain.'

'I'll be back soon, buzz me if you find it.' Svetlanka straightened and marched towards the elevator once more, knowing that the Captain would use his own private elevator to access the prison cells and that she would have to hurry if she wanted to keep up with him. The Pulmonary Vector was completely useless without its key, a key she'd seen dangling from the neck of the Enterprise's Captain when he'd observed her earlier. This was her only opportunity to get it; he was isolated from his crew, an ideal moment to pounce. The elevator was empty as the door slid open. She hit one of the lower floors, scanning her security pass once more to gain access to the cell block of the spaceship. The lift plummeted and soon the doors opened, revealing the cell lobby. Svetlanka managed to conceal herself behind a pillar just as the Captain's elevator opened and Jim Kirk entered the cell block. Instead of marching towards the corridor where Svetlanka's cell now lay desolate, he grimaced, straightened his shoulders, scanned his card and entered a small chamber beyond. Frowning at this behaviour, Svetlanka quietly slipped through the doors before they closed as instinct told her the guard card she possessed wouldn't have the clearance necessary to open this door. Captain Kirk spun around, his eyes widening as he saw through Svetlanka's hasty disguise.

'It was _you_?' He asked incredulously. 'B-But… how did you get out?' He managed to splutter.

'Well Captain, I must say, it is adorable that you think you caught me of your own accord. I needed access to your ship in order to procure the Pulmonary Vector for a prodigious client of mine and weren't you a darling to invite me on-board?' She asked, her indulgent smile revealing deep dimples on each cheek. 'I am curious though, who else do you have on-board who might be up to causing such mischief?' Svetlanka asked, removing her hat and allowing her brown hair to tumble wildly around her shoulders.

'Perhaps the Captain's suspicions were provoked by _my _presence.' Rumbled a voice behind Svetlanka. She resisted the urge to spin around quickly to identify the third person in the room, choosing to slowly turn instead. All saliva drained from her mouth as her eyes connected with a steely gaze whose irises reminded her of dragon scales, the intense hatred from the stare was not diluted in the slightest by the thick wall of glass which separated them. 'Then again Svetlanka, as a member of the house of Kranst, you always were _savagely_ jealous whenever a superhuman received more respect when compared with your pitiable race.' The man hissed. Svetlanka felt an uncontrollable loathing rise like a snake in her stomach and she knew her eyes had flashed an angry red upon recognising the detestable creature residing in the top class security cell. The Captain was completely forgotten about as Svetlanka spat the name which had been a source of great anger and pain throughout the majority of her existence:

'_Khan_.'

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**If you liked it, I would be well chuffed if you let me know! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Identities Uncovered.**

Being in such close proximity to a superhuman provoked a physical reaction Svetlanka was beyond controlling. Tension expanded in every single one of her flexible muscles, her teeth grated against one another and her fists balled up at the side of her body. She suddenly dropped her gaze from the hateful Khan and did some rapid thinking.

_It seems I've made a terrible mistake. _She thought, suddenly understanding the significance of Khan being on-board the Enterprise and how this greatly affected her mission. Svetlanka then sank onto her knees, placed her hands on the back of her head and looked the Captain directly in his eyes.

'I surrender completely.' She stated formally, enjoying the astounded look pulling at Jim Kirk's features. He regarded her suspiciously as he pulled out his phone and quickly instructed for Spock, Scottie and someone named "Bones" to hurry to their exact location.

'Oh Captain; I wouldn't place her under arrest, can't you see her ulterior motive?' Khan purred; his eyes fixed on the woman with wild brown hair.

'Khan. Shut up.' Kirk said through gritted teeth, procuring a stun-gun from his belt and aiming it directly at Svetlanka's heart. 'Who are you?' He demanded.

'Svetlanka Kranst.' She said easily. At least she hadn't lied about her name. 'You may know me better by my pseudonym: The Magpie.' Kirk's scintillatingly blue eyes widened in recognition. He was suddenly cursing his crew for taking so long to join him.

'Such a tacky name.' Khan sneered from behind his glass prison.

'Yes because superhumans always ooze such _class_.' Svetlanka retorted, her eyes flashing red once more, a change which didn't escape the Captain's notice.

'Your eyes…' He whispered, a deep frown pulling at his brows.

'Oh did they turn red for a moment? Sorry about that, it's not you. It's the scum of the universe on my right here.' Svetlanka nodded towards Khan's tall, straight form.

'Who _are _you?' Kirk's voice commanded slightly more authority this time; he was overcoming his shock at this bizarre shift in events.

'Svetlanka of the noble hose of Kranst.' At "noble" Khan audibly snorted. 'As I'm sure you've realised Captain, I am not from your race. Nor of Khan's I might add.' Before she could continue, the door to the room opened and in hurried Spock, Scottie and who Svetlanka could through a process of elimination conclude must be Bones.

'Captain, we received your message, I believe you've found the Pulmonary Vector –' Spock's voice was cut off by the scene at hand. 'Has Ms Kranst surrendered?'

'That's Lady Kranst to you, Vulcan.' Svetlanka sneered.

'Lady? I'm afraid such titles are only given to those belonging to royal lineages and seeing as you are on-board the USS Enterprise in the position of surrender, you should know that such titles will not allow you to receive any special treatment while you are held prisoner on this ship.' Spock reeled off. 'Furthermore –'

'Scottie, I need another top security cell opened.' Kirk interrupted.

'Another sir?'

'Yes, I would like it seen to that _Lady_ Kranst here, doesn't escape. Again.' Scottie shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. 'Scottie? What are you waiting for?'

'Well, you see, the things is sir, we've a wee bittae a problem concernin' runnin' two different high security cells simultaneously.'

'What do you mean Scottie?' Kirk asked, his voice lowering dangerously.

'Well, to put it bluntly sir, we cannae do it.'

'What do you mean _can't_?'

'There's sortae a issue with the power at the moment sir, the lass will have tae stay put for the noo.'

'Well Scottie, it is of great importance that you fix this. Immediately.'

'Aye Aye Captain, Keenser an I… we'll figure it oot. Fer sure!' Scottie quickly hurried out of the cell block to fix whatever power issue had arisen inside the Enterprise. 'I'll let ye no when I fix the wee bugger!' He called over his shoulder.

'So what exactly do we do _now?' _ Kirk hissed to Spock as the doors slid shut on Scottie's hurrying form. 'We have "The Magpie" sitting at our feet right now and the only suitable security cell we have for such a prisoner is being occupied by our favourite frozen superhuman!'

'I believe the solution is obvious, Captain.' Spock stated.

'Really Spock? What exactly would this "obvious solution" be?'

'Lady Kranst and Khan will have to share the cell.'

'He'll kill her.' Kirk murmured.

'No I think you're mistaken Captain, I'll kill him, he'll only _try _to kill me.' Svetlanka corrected.

'You think your skills surpass my own?' Khan hissed.

'I don't think, I know they do.'

'SHUT UP! You are both my prisoners! _Neither_ of you have a say in your accommodation arrangements!' Kirk snarled. 'Lady Kranst or whatever the hell your name is, you will enter this cell or suffer the ultimate punishment for resisting arrest.'

'Alright.' Svetlanka said quietly, rising and holding her wrists forward, waiting to be cuffed.

'You think I would give you such a valuable piece of material to work with?' Kirk sneered. 'Spock, Bones. I want all stun guns on the cell door. Svetlanka Kranst, you will walk in when the door opens, turn around and then answer our questions. Do I make myself clear?'

'Perfectly Captain.' Svetlanka replied.

'Try my patience again and you'll regret the day you were born.'

'I doubt you'd remember a date some five hundred years past, Captain.' Svetlanka said easily, enjoying the way the Captain's eyes slightly bulged at this casual titbit of information.

'Khan, you know better than to try and pull some daring escape.' Kirk said, glancing at the cold superhuman.

'Oh Captain, it would do you little harm to drop the patronizing tone once in a while. I would also like to take this opportunity to tell you that if you open that door and let that _thing_ in with me, I will not be responsible for my actions.' Khan said lazily.

'You're not to harm Lady Kranst. That's an order.' Kirk said forcefully.

'It would only be a matter of self-defence Captain; she would be the one instigating such a confrontation. _You_ however, would be prodding both of us into a fight by placing us within such close proximity.'

'You're scared of a girl?' Kirk managed to crack a smile in the pressurised situation.

'No, I am not afraid of the weak and pathetic females of the human race, a class which Svetlanka I might add does not fall into. By all means Captain, if you would like to see a further demonstration of my savagery, open that door and let her in. I assure you of a gruesome and bloody fight, especially when I only have my bare hands for weapons.' Kirk glanced at Svetlanka and was astonished to find no trace of fear marring her angular features, if anything she looked thoroughly amused by Khan's chilling little monologue. She caught him analysing her and an easy smiled pulled at her lips.

'I can take care of myself Captain, this won't be the first time I've fought a superhuman. Khan here has grown arrogant in his long sleep; he has forgotten why his people were frozen in the first place.'

'What are you talking about?' Kirk asked, not understanding.

'Let me in and as you earlier instructed, I will answer all of your questions, including your most important one.'

'Which is?'

'Oh I don't know, perhaps why I tried to board your ship and steal the Pulmonary Vector? Which I might add is still on my person.' She lowered her right hand and ignored Kirk's tightened grip on his stun gun as she withdrew the fire extinguisher from the depths of her uniform. After handing the Pulmonary Vector to the astonished Captain, she replaced her hand on her head. Kirk pocketed the small contraption and re-adjusted his grip on his gun.

'On three. The door will open, Khan will remain in his chamber and you will join him. Understand?' Svetlanka just nodded.

'Alright then.' Spock and Bones took out their weapons and pointed them at the glass door. They were painfully aware of how many stun shots it took to bring Khan down and they had no idea how many it would take to stun Svetlanka.

'One.'

'Two.'

'Three!'

Spock activated the door and Svetlanka sauntered into the cell with Khan not deigning to make an escape. The door closed and the three crew members of the Enterprise lowered their stun guns in relief.

'Now, I have some questions… What does your client want with the Pulmonary Vector?' Kirk demanded, trying to retain a hold of sorts on this spiralling encounter.

'He doesn't want it. I was wrong.' Svetlanka spat.

'_Wrong_?'

'He isn't exactly a straightforward man, he prefers to give what he desires in riddles and I misinterpreted his instructions.'

'Who's your client?'

'Irrelevant.'

'Not to me.'

'You don't want to go chasing after a great white when you're only a clown fish, Captain.' Svetlanka said bluntly. Throughout her clipped answers, her gaze had been lividly fixed on Khan's face, her eyes still retaining a scarlet shimmer. 'He doesn't want the Pulmonary Vector, hence why I surrendered it and myself. I was wrong.'

'I'm shocked.' Khan managed to sneer.

'What species are you?' Kirk quickly interjected, wanting to distract Svetlanka from attacking Khan, he had no way of going in there to straighten the two ridiculously strong characters out without risk of one of them escaping. He would have to hope they would cooperate and resist the urge to rip one another's throats out.

'I belong to the prestigious house of Kranst which is a member of the species known to humans as Waskrens. I doubt if you've heard of us despite being a sister race to humans.' Svetlanka murmured.

'I'm afraid I haven't heard of you.' Kirk said uncomfortably.

'I do not take offence Captain, there was a time when Humans and Waskrens would walk and fight together, a time which ended over three hundred years ago with the cataclysmic beginning of the Eugenics war.' Her eyes narrowed even more on Khan. 'We were – and still remain– allies.'

'So what planet do the Waskrens hail from?' Kirk's curiosity was beginning to get the better of him and Svetlanka could easily read his hunger regarding a forgotten species. He was truly suited to the role as Captain of a Starfleet ship; he was an explorer through and through.

'A planet some miles from Earth called Dorzu. My home.' She whispered. 'It is laid to waste now, completely desolate after what happened.' Her voice was as light as memory.

'What happened?' Kirk asked quietly.

'Inhabitation.'

'Inhabitation?'

'It's what happens when a planet is abandoned by its primary species. It either flourishes or dies. The latter is to be applied in this case.' She finally tore her eyes away from Khan and looked at the Captain, her eyes glassy as she remembered memories some three hundred years old but felt as horrendously vivid as yesterday. 'The Eugenics war was something which had never been seen in the galaxy. Genetically engineered Superhumans were roaming Earth, causing mayhem in their quest for world domination. Our services as allies were called upon to aid the human effort to capture and destroy these superhumans which were causing such chaos and death. So we came.' She swallowed painfully. 'We are not a warring people Captain and it is not in our nature to kill or to even indulge in violent behaviour. But our very core as a species was changed in that war when we were confronted with the unspeakable savagery of the superhumans. In order to correctly fight them, we had to… adopt some of their tactics. Some of the leaders back then when it was realised that we could fight and beat these _things_, wanted to completely exterminate this race. It was a preventative measure, they argued, to make sure this event could never happen again. Then there were those who believed that this was complete savagery beyond justification and that no such act could take place. So the option of cryogenically freezing the Superhumans was presented and passed. One which I agreed with back then but I now find myself filled with regret for supporting.' Her eyes flicked to Khan and then back to the Captain. 'Exhausted but victorious, we set a course to return home to Dorzu. Six hundred of our finest Waskrens were aboard that ship and when we were nearing home, disaster struck. It seemed the Superhumans had invoked a war-treaty with the people of Kronos, the Klingons – may them and their children forever be cursed – to finish what they had started in the event that they should fail. The Klingons attacked us first, planning to obliterate our exhausted forces before turning their attentions to Earth. It's fair to say that they underestimated us.' Svetlanka managed a grim smile which quickly disappeared. 'Though they suffered heavy casualties, they managed in their last manoeuvre to release a torpedo in our direction. Initially we thought it was heading for our ship but…' Svetlanka's voice caught in her throat. 'It headed to our home planet instead.' She rocked backwards and forwards slowly on her heels. 'One, tiny torpedo. We didn't think it would do much damage but we have never been more wrong.' Her voice was harrowing as she continued. 'To this day, I do not know exactly what balance of chemicals existed in that weapon but as soon as it connected with Dorzu, everything just _died.' _A lump in her throat stopped her from continuing as the painful memories washed over her heightened senses with an acidic touch. Tears burned down her cheeks as she struggled to finish her story. 'The combination of chemicals… it wasn't contained only to the planet. It soon spread outwards and was encompassing our ship. All of the shuttle ships had been damaged in the battle save for one. My mother… she locked me in and forcefully ejected me into space. By the time I obtained control of the ship and returned… there was no-one alive.' Svetlanka's hands were trembling so violently they blurred. 'I eventually managed to find my place in this century as the person you know as "The Magpie." Or as you humans call me –'

'The Thief of all Thieves.' Captain Kirk murmured; his mouth long dry due to the tragic tale conveyed by the lone Waskren. When he'd asked which species she'd belonged to, he hadn't expected… _that_. Jim watched as Svetlanka strode across the small cell so she was deliberately encroaching on Khan's personal space. The mossy green of Svetlanka's irises had adopted a permanent fiery scarlet as she glared at him. The superhuman returned the hatred-infused glare with interest, obviously enjoying his four inch height advantage which caused Svetlanka's head to jerk up awkwardly.

'Stand down, Kranst.' Khan demanded.

'And if I don't feel like it?'

'You're going to start something you won't be able to win.'

'You think I'd lose in a fist fight to you? You're adorable.' Svetlanka drawled.

'And to think that the once fine and honourable house of Kranst has been reduced to its sole, mediocre heir, manifesting itself in the form of _you_.' Khan purred. Kirk was about to cut through the trash-talking but was knocked speechless by what happened next. He didn't exactly see what happened, but he concluded that Svetlanka must have hit him because one second they were glaring at one another; the next Khan had been thrown against the back wall of the cell, his nose dripping softly with blood. Khan's carefully combed hair was thrown into disarray; his fringe flopping into his eyes was roaring evidence of how powerful the blow had been. The superhuman staggered to his feet and glared viciously at the Captain. 'I _told_ you she would start a fight!' He roared.

'I think you were the one asking to be punched, Khan.' Kirk replied humorously, his eyes flicking back to Svetlanka's trembling form. Only a severe rage or fear would cause those shakes and Kirk knew he didn't need his extra I.Q points to figure out which one was possessing Svetlanka Kranst. He glanced at the members of his crew, Bones was looking rather taken with the story Svetlanka had told and a little shocked by the power she'd demonstrated in that punch. Captain Kirk's eyes rested on Spock who looked mildly troubled by the events which had taken place. He seemed as unsure as the Captain with which action they should take next.

'Bones, give Khan some bandages.' Kirk eventually ordered.

'Captain, I'm a doctor dammit, not some vending machine supporting medical supplies!' Bones retorted.

'Just get the frozen man some bandages!' Kirk snapped; his blue eyes glaring at Bones with an intensity which suggested that if he didn't do as commanded, he'd be demoted to a position of nurse complete with the female uniform.

'Alright, I'll get superman some bandages…' Bones grumbled, hurrying out of the only sliding door of the special chamber.

'Now, Lady Kranst… would you mind telling me what a typical Waskren is capable of?' Kirk asked. Svetlanka had slid to the floor of the cell, her legs crossed beneath her as she stared blankly at her right hand which was sprinkled with Khan's blood. She had taken great satisfaction from making the superhuman bleed. Her mother would have been proud of the damage she'd inflicted from one single hit. An old memory seemed to have her within its strong grasp and she was not completely present to hear, never mind _answer_, the Captain's question.

'I believe I have suitable knowledge to answer that question, Captain.' Khan said, his deep voice resonating menacingly around the intimate cell room. 'But first, you must answer a question of _mine_.'

* * *

**The response to the first chapter has been overwhelming and I hope you enjoyed chapter two! Let me know if you like the idea of Waskrens, they are of my own creation!**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Most Obvious Thing**

'What's your question Khan?'

'My question is simply this: What is your plan, Captain?' Khan was whispering but the power in his voice allowed his voice to carry effortlessly through the glass wall.

'What plan?'

'To tackle your problem of course.'

'What _problem_?'

'I am of course referring to something more troublesome than what course of action you plan on taking with myself and the festered Waskren here.' Kirk's face remained tensely blank, his blue eyes blazing as he returned Khan's hatred-fuelled gaze. 'You have no idea, do you?' Khan's lips stretched into a smirk as he closed his eyes. 'Dear me Captain. What an unfortunate end for you and your crew due to your comic blindness.' He opened his eyes and stepped closer to the glass. 'Come Kirk, you _must_ know what is coming.'

'What problem?' The Captain repeated in a dangerously quiet voice.

'Her client of course.' Svetlanka's head rose slightly at Khan's words. 'He will be dropping by shortly to pick up this filthy _Magpie _and judging by the class of clientele which Kranst commands, we can be certain of his lack of mercy.'

'There has been no sighting of another ship within our radius, Captain.' Spock replied promptly to Kirk's questioning look. The Captain rolled his fingers into fists then released them.

'What's your game, Khan?'

'My game? Captain, you should know I don't have one seeing as you are, after all, the one who awoke me from my two year slumber.'

'_What_?' Svetlanka asked quietly, elegantly jumping to her feet. 'Why would you wake such a demon?'

'Stand _down_ Lady Kranst.' Kirk said through gritted teeth.

'Did you have your head in the sand during the last time a superhuman was awakened from hibernation, _this_ superhuman to be exact?'

'Lady Kranst –'

'Then let me refresh your memory Captain! Does the mass bombing of the Starfleet archives sound familiar? Or how about the shooting of a Captains meeting killing no less than a dozen captains and first officers?' Kirk visibly flinched at these words. 'And I thought you of _all_ people would remember how this man sat in a zooped up Starfleet ship with the intention of vaporising everyone on your ship. When that option was taken away from him he set a crash-course for Starfleet headquarters!'

'You sound impressed.' Khan drawled. Svetlanka's gaze snapped from the incensed Captain's and fixed lividly on the superhuman's.

'Once again, you mistake disgust for flattery.' Svetlanka spat as she stepped towards him, having no problem getting in Khan's hostile little face.

'Do I?' His voice was dangerously soft.

'_ENOUGH!_' Kirk roared, forcing the end of another heated glaring contest. 'Lady Kranst, you are undergoing thorough questioning and I am still waiting for my answer. Details of your abilities. _Now_.' He snarled when he saw Svetlanka was seconds away from interrupting. She exhaled sharply before walking towards the sheet of glass.

'What would you like to know Captain?' She asked in a quiet, polite voice.

'Everything.'

'Alright, one crash-course on the abilities of the Waskrens coming up.' She stretched for a moment before continuing. 'We can perceive emotions of any person we come into contact with although only a select few, myself included, have the ability to see auras.'

'Auras?' Kirk asked; his stance relaxing at the introduction of interesting information.

'For most Waskrens, when understanding what someone else is experiencing, we too feel it. However, those of us who see auras, we do not need to undergo the same emotions when we can _see_ them.'

'See emotions?' Spock's voice would have been sarcastic had he the ability to wield such a technique.

'Colours.' She said thoughtfully, her head tipping to the side as she gazed at the Captain. 'Each colour represents a different emotion and the intensity of the shade conveys the degree to which that feeling is being experienced. The more vivid the shade, the more potent the emotion.'

'So what, light red means angry and livid red means furious?' Kirk asked with a quirked brow.

'You would think that, being human and all.' Svetlanka said with an indulgent smile. 'No Kirk, red is not for anger. Nor is it represented by any colour in your spectrum of light.'

'Wait, you're saying they're other… _colours_.' Kirk said in disbelief.

'The way you petty humans see the galaxy isn't the only way of viewing your surroundings, _Captain_.' Khan hissed, leaning against the far wall and watching the conversation with unmasked dislike.

'The premise isn't unreasonable Captain, the differences in genetic make-up dictate the way in which we view the universe. To think that the extent of colours is confined to what we perceive them to be is an illogical and unscientific approach.' Spock added.

'So you can see people's auras… you can see _my _aura.' He added, trying his best to hide his discomfort.

'Yes Captain, I see yours and your first officer's. And the reason why my irises flash red when I looked at the foul specimen lounging behind me is to help me perceive his aura without having my eyes gouged out. You must understand that such an aura is quite… _unpleasant _to perceive.' She said quietly. 'It took a good five years for those of us who perceive auras to produce this technique –'

'Hang on. You just put your heads together and _learnt_ how to perceive an aura?' Kirk asked incredulously.

'No Captain, we did not learn, we _evolved_.'

'Evolved.' He said with a stony expression.

'We live for at least ten times the length of a normal human being Captain, we don't wait to pass our genetics onto our offspring and hope they evolve along the way. We make sure the evolution has taken place beforehand. It is what has allowed us to survive as a race for thousands of years.'

'Yes, evolution played such a vital role in saving your race during the Eugenics war.' Khan said coldly, provoking a deep-rooted anger to stir once again in Svetlanka's stomach.

'If he continues making such detrimental comments about my race, I will hit him over and over until nothing but bloody pulp spatters this frightfully clean cell of yours.' Svetlanka's voice didn't rise yet a shiver chased the length of Kirk's spine at her words. He didn't doubt her belief in executing such a violent action.

'I'd prefer if you didn't decapitate Khan for the moment. I unfortunately have a task I need to complete which relies on his being alive to succeed.' Kirk said.

'When you're done with him, send him my way. It would be a pleasure to rid the galaxy of one more spineless superhuman.' Khan merely smiled indulgently at Svetlanka. 'What has you so happy?' She asked suspiciously.

'You. Thinking you can beat _me_.'

'I don't think, I know.' She said with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

'Your nonchalance and arrogance will defeat you long before I clasp my hands around your throat. And after I have killed you and your lifeless corpse falls to the ground, do you think I will leave your body in peace? Do you believe me to possess such _kindness_?'

'I would expect no mercy from a savage.' Svetlanka replied lightly, glancing back to the Captain's darkened face. 'Would you like to hear more of my abilities, Captain Kirk?'

'Let me know what I've missed. Judging from the fact you drew blood from Khan after one hit; superior strength is obviously on the cards. With superior strength comes extraordinary agility I presume?' Svetlanka nodded. 'And it also seems that you have immortality going for you too.'

'I have no reason to die for a couple of centuries.' She replied with a shrug.

'And your client… is he coming to pick you up?' Kirk asked.

'No. He is not.'

'How can I trust you on that?'

'Simple, he will not collect me until I have gained what it is that he commanded me to steal.'

'Which is?'

'I have absolutely no idea. I was certain it was the pulmonary vector but now I am sure it was something else entirely. In fact, I do believe I'm on the wrong ship completely.'

'You're not quite the thief your reputation depicts you to be.' Kirk said, cracking a true smile for the first time since he came into this prison cell.

'In my defence, it is difficult to steal an object which I do not know the identity or the location of.' Svetlanka said with half a smile.

'Would your race not be ashamed to know of what their sole heir has turned to as a source of income?'

'Ashamed? No Captain, I would be coveted with countless titles, honours and feasts for commanding the title of "The Thief Among Thieves" for you see, thievery is a source of highest respect among us Waskrens.'

'I don't think Humans or Vulcans would share the same opinion.' Kirk said with a slight frown, looking to Spock who nodded his assent.

'Oh, you misinterpret my meaning of "robbery" let me correct you. Thievery for you would be the forceful taking of an object without justifiable means, yes?'

'Correct.' Kirk said with a nod.

'For the correct cause, thievery is the source of highest honour on Dorzu.'

'And what would a correct cause entail exactly?' Kirk asked.

'Don't fall for the sentimental nonsense Captain. Waskrens use the justification of "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor" to uphold this barbaric tradition of theirs.' Khan said silkily.

'So you'd carry out raids in order to gain the respect of your peers and spread out the wealth in your own forceful way? Sounds quite… Medieval.' Kirk said.

'If by Medieval you mean we had a planet which was perfectly in harmony for thousands of years then yes. Our traditions practically oozed with Medieval panache.' Svetlanka said with a smile.

'You claimed you were of the noble house of Kranst. It is beyond my knowledge how a planet can live in harmony while having different classes.' Spock's voice was perfectly level as he delivered these words.

'All houses where I come from are noble. There are none beneath or above.'

'Then how did you govern your planet?' Spock demanded.

'Everyone had an equal say.' Svetlanka said with a shrug. 'You are not of my race, you are half-human and half-Vulcan therefore it is something which might lie beyond your understanding.' Before Spock could interrupt, a persistent beeping drew everyone's attention to Kirk's mobile. He flipped it open and conducted a hurried conversation, snapping the phone violently shut, swearing beneath his breath.

'Captain, what is it –'

'Power issues, I swear if Scottie doesn't get his act together–' He made a slashing motion in the air before storming out of the chamber. Spock took one more glance at the powerful prisoners before hurrying after his Captain, the doors sliding shut behind him. Svetlanka turned and leant against the glass, observing her tall companion keenly after the Captain's abrupt exit.

'We should figure out an arrangement.'

'What sort of arrangement Khan?'

'One where we can sleep without having to worry about the other killing us while we slumber.'

'What do you need sleep for? You've been snoozing for the past three centuries.'

'It is one of the few defects which I share with the feeble human race.'

'Stop that.'

'Stop…what?'

'Pretending you're better than them.' Svetlanka's eyes were in danger of never reverting to their usual vibrant green.

'But I _am_.'

'Thinking you are doesn't make it so, Khan.' Svetlanka's voice was brittle. 'And why is such an arrangement necessary with our sleeping arrangements? Surely a guard will stop us from slitting the others throat?'

'There are no guards in here, only the ones left outside of the door Spock and Kirk just left through.' Khan delicately folded his arms, the imposing muscles of his biceps flexing in a menacing manner.

'Do you fear what I might do to you while you slumber?'

'What could you possibly do to me which might be a cause of fear?' He asked sarcastically.

'You'd have to be asleep before I could possibly show you. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise now would I?'

'You have nothing to threaten me with.'

'And your sleeping arrangements bore me even though I won't be around long enough to take part in them.'

'You think they'll let you go? You are _very_ naive.'

'They don't have much of a say in the matter. Now, before I perform an extraordinary feat, there's one thing we need to get out of the way first.'

'And that is…?' Svetlanka crossed the length of the cell and stood before Khan's guarded eyes.

'Hit me.' She said bluntly.

'You want me to hit you.'

'Yes.'

'And then after I do, this will escalate into a boring fight which I will inevitably win. Am I correct?'

'You couldn't be more wrong Khan. I can't kill you, not in here. Unfortunately you're my cell buddy. I have use for you which outweighs outright _killing _you.'

'And you believe the satisfaction I shall draw from hitting you will satisfy my natural urge to strangle the life from your body. At least in your opinion it will sate my barbaric nature long enough to help you.' Khan's voice was smouldering with aggression.

'Uh Oh. Looks like sleeping-beauty is cranky and needs to nap for another century or so.' Svetlanka took yet another step forward. 'Stop being the spineless superhuman you are and _hit _me.'

'No.' Khan's breath tickled her face, they were that close.

'Then will you help me?'

'Why must you leave this cell?'

'Because unlike you, I have places to be, people to meet. Not everyone I know is lying in a freezer, their cognitive processes are up and running.'

'Though not to a tenth of what my family can achieve.'

'I like them better.'

'I'm sure you would, they would be closer to your level of intelligence than the category which I belong to.'

'Oh that's nice; you think they're smarter than you too. I never knew you possessed such humility Khan, sleeping seems to have mellowed you out.' She stepped away from the superhuman and allowed a smirk to stretch across her face as she faced the glass, one which Khan could not see. She had found what she'd been looking for; it was still in his eyes after all of these years.

'Would you mind _not_ pressing your fingers into my head in an attempt to crush my cranium as I open this door?' Svetlanka asked as she knelt beside the great sheet of glass.

'I wouldn't trust myself to make any promises. And what are you doing?'

'What does it look like roomie? I'm breaking out.'

'You can't. This is a cell room with a security system of my own invention. You cannot possibly open that door.'

'If you made it, did you leave a loophole of sorts, a back door if you will?' Svetlanka asked, shrugging some brown hair from her eyes.

'Why would I do that? The creation of a flawed invention belongs to the feeble race of humans, not of my own species.'

'I bet that makes you _so_ proud now that you find yourself locked in your own cage.'

_Enough with the politeness, I need to get out of this blasted cell before it's too late! _

Svetlanka ran her fingers along the base of the glass door, trying her best to detect where the best place would be to push when the time was right. She eventually found the correct place, lay on her back and placed her feet against the weakest part of the glass. Khan watched her silently though made no movement to take advantage of her vulnerable position. After five minutes of this, Khan lost his patience.

'_What _are you waiting for?' He eventually snapped.

'The right moment.'

'To do w_hat_?'

'Break out, as I've told you already.'

'You think calling the guards to further restrain you is beneath me?' He snarled.

'I wouldn't say it's beneath you Khan, I would however, say it wasn't in your best interests. How do you expect to escape without my help?'

'Who said anything about escaping?'

'Oh _sorry_. I didn't realise you wanted to stay cocooned in this little cage doing Kirk's bidding for the rest of your days!'

'Don't you _dare_–' Khan's words were cut off by the lights dying due to the universal lack of power spreading like wildfire throughout the Enterprise. Svetlanka kicked with all of her strength and she felt the glass give way, but only slightly. The blasted superhuman had built this little cell far too well.

'Khan, if you don't help me, we'll never get out of here.' Svetlanka snarled. The power wouldn't be out for long, she'd only set the Pulmonary Vector to activate for sixty seconds after coming within twenty feet of the ship's primary reactor which Captain Kirk had kindly visited after leaving the cell block. For such a small contraption, it really did perform a plethora of tasks. This power cut did not need the key around the Captain's neck to complete; that was only necessary for the pulmonary vector's most sinister function.

'Why should I?' Khan growled; his voice sound twice as menacing in the dark.

'By all means if you believe we'll get along as flat mates until we're sentenced to death back on earth, fell free to relax and ignore me!' Svetlanka kicked the base of glass once more but knew her strength in the dwindling sixty seconds would not be enough. It was highly disconcerting to feel a superhuman lie next to her in the dark, his arm brushing accidently against hers sent a wave of heat rippling across her skin, a reaction which was similar to a human shivering from surprise. Together the two of them kicked the bottom of the glass sheet until after ten different combined efforts; the glass door juddered for a moment before spectacularly shattering into countless pieces. The Waskren and superhuman were able to shield their faces thanks to their superior hearing.

Svetlanka jumped to her feet just as the lights flickered back on. She could feel the ground vibrate once more, meaning the ship wasn't drifting through space anymore. 'What should be happening now that the door is shattered?' She snapped.

'An alarm should be going off… but it has failed.' Khan's face was rooted with confusion.

'Seems your cell wasn't as safe as you previously presumed. C'mon. We have to get out of here before they find out we're missing.' Svetlanka stepped towards the door and Khan snapped out of his disbelief, following his most hated enemy through the slanting doors, his eyes looking for any sign of life. The two emerged into the cell block and found the guards station empty; the complete block on power seemed to have thrown everything on the Enterprise into disarray.

'You planned that shortage so you could escape.' Khan said shrewdly. 'Now, you're trying to get off this ship, a task which is much more immense than breaking out of your cell. And you've also forgotten yourself.' Faster than the human eye could follow, Khan pinned Svetlanka to the nearest wall, one hand holding up her delicate frame by clasping around the soft skin of her throat. 'We are not allies and I see no reason why I shouldn't kill you right now.' His grip was tightening but Svetlanka was no green girl, her feet struck out in a powerful blow, connecting with Khan's chest. His hand dropped and together, the two of them lay gasping for breath on the ground.

'This…is….ridiculous.' Svetlanka wheezed. 'Neither of…us will…ever get off… this ship.' She pushed herself into a standing position as did Khan. The two watched each other warily for a moment before straightening and without another word, headed towards the elevator at the end of the corridor.

'HALT!' A voice roared to their left. Before Svetlanka could react, Khan had wrenched the gun from the guard's hand and whacked him brutally over the head with it. He flipped the weapon over in his hands before surveying their surroundings. After certifying they were alone, the barrel of the gun slowly aimed towards Svetlanka's chest who ignored Khan's actions and entered the elevator. Him having a gun was no different to having his bare hands, the instinct to kill was always present in Khan.

'Fourth floor I presume?' Khan asked as he followed her in.

'For once, you're not incorrect.' Soon they were rising and Khan made sure to dig the nozzle of his gun into Svetlanka's shoulder-blades, just to remind her who had the advantage in this situation. The lift doors slid open revealing a circular room the size of a large swimming pool with various panels connecting with platforms housing shuttle ships. All were unmanned due to the power shortage but soon this docking area would be swarming with Enterprise crew members and all hopes for the success of Svetlanka's mission would be lost.

'Pick a ship.' Khan ordered.

'Oh that's nice, making sure we travel together. Are you growing fond of me Khan?' Svetlanka crooned as she set a path towards the furthest docking platform.

'I know you have a fool proof plan to exit this ship, I want to make sure I am not left behind.'

'As if I would do that to you.' She entered one of the docking ships and quickly entered a series of commands onto the sizeable keyboard. The shuttle ship quickly hummed to life and Svetlanka hurriedly tapped in the coordinates of her destination.

'Where is that?' Khan asked; his eyes on the holographic screen in front of them.

'A place far away from here.' Svetlanka replied truthfully as she locked in the codes. She hurriedly stood up and faced Khan who in turn aimed the barrel of his gun at her face. It wasn't a stun gun either, if he pulled the trigger, Svetlanka would be lucky to have a head left. Having extended life did not under any circumstances make a Waskren invincible.

'So I guess, that's it. We're good to go.' She took another step forward so the gun was tapping gently against her forehead.

'What are you doing?' Khan made a show of disarming any safety mechanism on the weapon. Svetlanka only smiled at his confusion as she continued to stare into his eyes only this time, she kept the scarlet gleam from her irises. Lush green stared into tumultuous turquoise for a few moments longer. 'What's wrong with your eyes? They aren't red.' Khan's voice tried to remain still and calm but the slight tremor was all Svetlanka needed as confirmation of her earlier sighting. After all these centuries, it was _still_ there.

'You're not going to shoot me Khan.' Svetlanka said smoothly, her hand rising up and gently pushing the gun from her face. At first there was some profound resistance but the gun was soon swiped away as Svetlanka strode forwards, encroaching Khan's personal space for the thousandth time in the past hour.

'And what makes you so sure of that?' Khan asked with a deep frown.

'I gave you a free chance to hit me earlier and you refused to take it.'

'And this means I have suddenly lost my desire to see you dead?'

'No Khan, not that alone. _This_ however…'

Svetlanka was faster than a breath of air as she stood on tip toe and pressed her lips gently against his. She heard the gun drop from his hand in shock as two strong hands clamped down on her shoulders and pulled her from the delicate embrace.

'_What_ do you think you're playing at?' Khan's voice inspired heat to chase up and down Svetlanka's body. She glanced at his lips, then back into his bewildered and guarded eyes.

'I'm only doing what you want, Khan.' She said silkily.

'I don't _want_ you.'

'That's not what your rushing heart is saying; I can feel your pulse through the hands you so unwisely chose to clamp on my shoulders. Boom-boom. Boom-boom. Much too fast for a serene superhuman, but an a_roused _superhuman –' Her sentence was cut off when Khan lifted her clean off the floor and smashed her against the wall. 'You seem to like this position seeing as it's the second time in the past ten minutes you've put me here. Is this what you had in mind?' Her legs slunk around his waist but did not try to squeeze the life out of him; they merely hung comfortably enough to support her weight.

'_STOP IT_!' Khan roared, bashing her upper body against the side of the shuttle ship before letting go of her completely. He swiftly picked up the fallen gun, failing to hide a slight tremor in his hands as he aimed the barrel at the troublesome Waskren. 'I have no issue flying a shuttle ship with your blood smeared around the inside of this cabin.'

'You always arrived in style. It's nice to see that hasn't changed over the past few centuries, not to mention your _feelings_ –'

'I have no ability to feel anything but _hate_ for a disgusting, dirty, rotten – STAY OVER THERE!' He snarled as Svetlanka crossed the little ship fearlessly, stopping right in front of the barrel of the gun.

'Do it. Go on then…' She goaded, taking the barrel and pointing it towards her heart. 'Right here, it's what you're seeking after all isn't it? Centuries have not dulled your passions –'

'_SILENCE!_' Khan roared, spinning the weapon in his hand so that the butt came hurtling towards Svetlanka's head. She ducked and stepped forwards, grabbing the gun and flinging it into some far corner of the ship. She stood and stared fearlessly into his savage face as he breathed far too heavily for so little an exertion.

'You want to kill me with your hands don't you?' Svetlanka whispered, reaching forward and taking both of Khan's hands and placing his fingers delicately along her cranium. 'This was always the death I wished upon the Klingons. For each and every one of their horrible acts, a superhuman would come and turn their brain to mush with pressure from their fingers alone. Is it a thrilling death? Will it hurt much?' She felt Khan's fingertips begin to dig into the surface of her skull but she never broke eye contact with him. 'I think it must be; the endorphins alone are making it _very _worthwhile.' As the pressure increased, the barbaric look in Khan's eyes slowly seeped away. He was no longer the hateful superhuman all members of the Enterprise saw him to be, they would never be privy to this more human side of Khan.

The pressure from Khan's fingertips abruptly ceased. His hands slid from Svetlanka's cranium down to her jaw until with a sigh of defeat, he leant forward sharply and allowed his lips to crash against hers. Svetlanka returned the pressure with ease, her mind singing from the perfect way she'd read the superhuman. She had successfully enticed his dormant feelings, fanning the spark into a flame which allowed her to push Khan against the nearest wall and claw at his soft hair, his fringe falling into his eyes as their lips continued to lock. One of her hands slid to his neck where she could feel his erratic pulse pounding away beneath his skin as Khan's hands trailed down her back and flicked at the seam between her top and trousers, feeling the warm, untouched skin beneath. He moved once more so it was her against the wall, allowing the kiss to deepen for a moment before his position was usurped again as Svetlanka pulled the two of them away from the wall altogether. She could feel a smirk pushing against her lips between their hurried movements and after a few more seconds of this, she pulled away to catch breath. Both chests were heaving after the forbidden embrace, Khan's arms slowly releasing Svetlanka from the vice-like grip he commanded of her and Svetlanka's hands straying from his chest. They looked at each other for a long moment, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

'Well Khan, I guess there's only one thing left to say.' Svetlanka whispered.

'Which is?' He asked, his gaze lingering in her lips.

'Have a safe trip.' Khan's confused eyes flicked back to Svetlanka's but was confounded to find her leaping away from him, exiting the shuttle entirely and slamming her fist against the button which would eject the small ship from the Enterprise. Khan leapt forward, but was only met by a glass wall as the doors jammed into place. He hammered against the glass as Svetlanka's amused face loomed on the other side, her eyes singing with a private victory.

'I lied when I said I didn't know what my client wanted Khan. As soon as I saw you I _knew_ it wasn't the Pulmonary Vector he desired. He had commissioned me to bring him _you_, for your blood.' Khan stopped hammering on the glass and hurriedly turned towards the coordinates locked into the ship's system. He hurriedly attempted half a dozen override commands but all met with failure.

'WHERE ARE YOU SENDING ME?!' He shouted, the barbaric gleam returning with a vengeance to his eyes.

'You'll soon see, _Khan_.' Svetlanka whispered as the shuttle ship exited the docking bay and abruptly shot away from the Enterprise ship.

* * *

**The response to this story has been unbelievable so I hope you enjoyed the longest instalment yet (which was an amazingly fun thing to write!) **


	4. Chapter 4

**A Snap Decision**

Svetlanka was remarkably calm considering the twenty stun guns trained on her body. She slowly raised her hands above her head and once again dropped into a kneeling position, her eyes scanning the serious faces surrounding her, faces which would be glad for the order to simultaneously pull their stun gun triggers. Captain Kirk strode out of the circle of Enterprise crew members and stopped before her surrendered form, his eyes blazing with anger. He roughly grabbed her by the elbow, yanked her to her feet and marched her back into the Enterprise. Svetlanka remained quiet, deigning not to aggravate the Captain further after just setting loose his most troublesome cargo.

A few minutes later, Captain Kirk roughly pushed her against a glass door which did not this time, form the bars of a cell. Svetlanka glanced around at her surroundings; they were in the basement of the ship where the reactors were kept. The only other officer present was First Officer Spock.

'Do you know what's behind that door?' Kirk murmured; his voice dangerously quiet. A blue print of the Enterprise presented itself to Svetlanka's mind's eye, a map she had previously lifted from Starfleet headquarters and she nodded slowly.

'Behind this door is where the warp core is stored.' She recited dully.

'Correct, and that door also keeps the radiation contained within that chamber, stopping it from spilling out into the rest of the ship. Do you know how I know this Ms Kranst?'

'Yes.'

'Would you be so _kind_ to remind me?' He spat.

'Your heroic and very stupid action echoed throughout the galaxy.' She muttered. 'Two years ago when you had your little standoff with Khan, the heads of your warp core needed to be realigned. You had no power and there was imminent destruction heading for you and your crew. So you took a decision and you entered the chamber behind me where you forcefully realigned the warp core heads with your feet. However, adrenaline and fear can only motivate the human body to do so much, you exited the warp core's chamber and lay on the opposite side of this glass where you died from radiation poisoning. Your First Officer couldn't bear to live without you so he pumped some of the filth running through the superhuman's veins into you, making your heart beat once again.'

'Good. You understand what lies behind that glass. Now let me tell you something Ms Kranst. You have released a superhuman from my ship into your client's arms and I need to rectify that situation _immediately_.'

'What do you want from me, Captain?'

'You and I are going to take a shuttle ship and follow in Khan's footsteps –'

'Captain –'

'Not _now_ Spock! Ms Kranst, you will take me to this destination which is beyond my crew members ability to find and help me get him back and I swear to God if you don't help me in every possible way, your prison cell will become the warp core's room. Do you understand?'

'Forgive me Captain, but cold blooded murder doesn't seem your style.' Svetlanka murmured.

'It's not.'

'Not what?'

'Cold blooded murder. I've had some people conduct basic research on you before you escaped. Some pretty useful information concerning Waskrens was brought to my attention. Such as how radiation makes you ill and weak, but no dose available in this galaxy is enough to _kill_ you.'

'Do you plan to test this hypothesis with the only remaining member of this species?' Svetlanka asked softly.

'Not unless I have to.' Kirk replied.

'And what happens after?'

'After what?'

'After I help you retrieve the fowl superhuman you've grown so fond of and make sure you return to your ship. What then?'

'If we somehow manage to arrive at that position, depending on your behaviour, we'll see how lenient a punishment you receive. Your race was once allied to my own or so you claimed, let's see how true a statement that is, shall we?'

Svetlanka glanced through the glass door, remembering a time when her mother had told her of undergoing radiation. The experience had sounded so painful, so vulgar that Svetlanka had developed a slight phobia of radioactive material.

'You don't even know who my client is and yes you are willing to blunder into his territory with only me as your guide.' Kirk ignored her before turning his attention to his first officer.

'Spock, you're Captain of the Enterprise until I return.'

'But Captain, I have some serious concerns concerning the success rate of your mission –'

'That's an order Spock.' Kirk said quietly, his eyes flitting to the Waskren watching the pair of them carefully. 'Waking Khan up was the biggest risk I've taken in my career. He's my responsibility. I have to get him back. No matter the cost.' He aimed his stun gun once more at Svetlanka's heart.' Let's go, Ms Kranst.' Together the two of them marched back up onto the docking station where all of the shuttle ships lay in wait while Spock hurried off to the auxiliary control room where he would once again spend some time in the Captain's chair. The two stepped into the nearest shuttle ship and under Captain Kirk's weighted gaze; Svetlanka began tapping in complex codes into the keyboard.

'You sure this is the path you wish to take Captain?' Svetlanka asked quietly, her hand hovering over the handle which would push their ship away from the Enterprise.

'Just do it already.' He snapped. The doors hissed to a quick and final close behind them and the ship shot away from the elegant Starfleet model, plunging into space. Svetlanka turned around in her chair to face the captain who was holding some sort of holographic tablet in his hand. He was frowning deeply at the information being sent to him, eventually his razor blue eyes snapping upwards and fixing on hers.

'Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say you hated superhumans because they helped destroy your race?'

'Your analysis remains sound, Captain.'

'Then you wouldn't mind explaining this footage I've just been sent, would you?' He asked quietly, flipping the holographic tablet around for her to see. Svetlanka felt some heat chase down her spine when she realised it was recorded footage of her forcefully sending Khan to her client, including the, eh, _technique_ she'd used to distract him. She stared blankly at their forbidden embrace before shrugging.

'I imagine you must be slightly confused.'

'_Slightly_?' He asked incredulously.

'How do I explain this…?' Svetlanka mused, her fingers tapping against the armrest of her chair.

'Are you two… a thing?'

'No.' Svetlanka said coldly, waving her hand dismissively. 'Absolutely not. This is biology Captain.'

'Biology?'

'You must understand that when a male superhuman comes into contact with a female Waskren, a biological reaction occurs in the male, one which even the most cunning cannot resist. The savage instinct to procreate kicks in while the mind desperately tries to grapple for control.'

'So what, you're saying he finds you _irresistible_?'

'Not me, Captain. My scent on the other hand…'

'Sorry, you're _scent_?'

'It's what sets of the chemical reaction. Heart rate elevated, pupils dilated, skin flushed, unclear thought-process… After we realised that it was female Waskrens which caused such a detrimental reaction in the male superhumans, we turned it into a weapon which we used against them. Without it, the superhumans would have prevailed in the Eugenics War. In the cell when you unwisely put us together, I was amazed to find that my smell still set off this chemical reaction in hi, his pupils dilated ridiculously for the harsh lighting present in the cell. This of course explains why I was constantly encroaching on his personal space, not to mention why when I hit Khan, he could not find it in him to hit me back. As you saw from the footage, I increased my advances in order to maroon him on the shuttle ship, a ploy he didn't recognise until it was too late.' She finished quickly, her fist clenching and unclenching rapidly.

'The two of you...there's history there.' The Captain said shrewdly, once again studying the tablet intensely. 'Both of you didn't meet on the battlefield some three hundred years ago… this embrace is far too familiar for that. You met before.'

'And how would you be able to recognise familiarity in a species which before today you didn't even know existed?'

'I'm considered to be quite an expert on this topic as a result of my… _extensive_ experience.' He said with half a smirk. 'So tell me, what's your history with Khan? Bear in mind that your cooperation grossly affects the lenience of your punishment after the success of this mission.'

'You have the utmost confidence in yourself, Captain.'

'You have_ no_ idea.' He stared at the Waskren for a moment as she continued to tap her fingers against her arm rest. She flirted with the idea of telling him some well-padded lies but found the truth spilling out of her lips before she could stop herself.

'There was a time when Khan had to attend the star fleet academy to learn all that the university had to offer as you once did.' She began. 'This was roughly a decade before the Eugenics War started. I met Khan after he'd conducted some extensive coursework in the academy before he and some fifty others applied for my class.'

'_You_ taught at the academy?' Kirk asked, completely astounded.

'Look up the newspapers in their archives for the class of 2003, you'll find my picture there beneath advanced weapons study.' Kirk tapped furiously at the holographic tablet until arriving at the desired page.

'What's up with the war paint?' He asked as he looked at the image of Svetlanka standing astride her graduating class, her cheeks swept with elegant black tattoos, complimenting the emerald velvet top and the floor length bottle-green skirt.

'My chosen career means I can no longer sport such memorable marks or loud colours. The tattoos were a symbol amongst Waskrens for achieving a certain honour within our society.'

'And what achievement was that?'

'Oh something to do with stealing, a feat which would be of little interest to you Captain. But you are of course missing the person you should be looking for in that picture.' The Captain's eyes frowned as he looked along the lines of smiling students, his eyes suddenly fixing on the only bored-looking face of the bunch.

'Is that…_Khan_?' He whispered, his eyes glued to the three hundred year younger superhuman.

'He hasn't aged a day, has he?'

'No… but he looks less barbaric.' Svetlanka returned her attention to the controls, cross-referencing the ship's position before returning her attention to Kirk. She brushed her wild hair behind her ears and resisted the urge to chew her lower lip.

'Khan was more man than savage when I taught him.' She admitted.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay, I've decided to take this story in a completely different direction than previously planned. Any of you see the previous history between Khan and Svetlanka? I'll elaborate more on that later. Thank you so much for the huge numbers of reviews, follows and rates!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Once Upon A Time…**

Svetlanka lounged against the door concealing an amphitheatre housing fifty of the Academy's brightest and best. Her module: "The Study of Advanced Weaponry" was one of the university's most hotly contested subjects with most candidates employing various methods of corruption in order to reserve their places. Svetlanka didn't blame them, this subject truly opened doors in the careers which these students wished to forge, but some of the stories this semester had been more outrageous than usual. Apparently the rich father of one of her students had paid for the complete renovation of the southern quarter of the Academy's library just to gain the Dean's confirmation of his place in this module. Svetlanka was sickened by the ludicrous donation, she wished for a simpler time when only the marks, not the money, would allow you access to this prestigious module. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and opened the doors.

The room echoed with the chatter of excited students, all congratulating themselves on their good fortune to be able to take this class. Svetlanka particularly liked this theatre as it contained old, wooden benches which creaked profusely at the slightest movement. These seats were the best way to gauge the audience's attention: lots of creaking, your lecture was terrible and couldn't hold their attention. Some creaking, your lecture was good but held nothing too memorable. No creaking at all was what every lecturer aimed for when they stepped into this chamber.

Her appearance alone struck her audience dumb, the noise draining from the large room as if someone had tapped a forbidden mute button. She strode into the centre of the room and delicately mounted the podium, her teal; floor-length skirt whispering around her as she stopped. She pushed the sleeves of her electric blue v-neck to her elbows and allowed her gaze to fall on her rooted students. Svetlanka didn't need to see the pointed ears and slanted brows to identify the Vulcans in the room. She wasn't surprised that almost 50% of the class consisted of these creatures; they were best suited to this module above any other race she'd taught. Their auras gave off a distinctive shimmer which allowed the room to adopt a mild, hazy glow which only she could see. She caught the slightly agape mouths of the few humans sprinkled together as their eyes traced the fine tattoos coiling down her high cheekbones. Their auras were rapidly changing from colour to colour; their excitement was baldly displayed for her eyes alone.

'I suppose a congratulations is in order for all of you who successfully managed to apply for this module.' She began. 'Now to see if you truly belong here or if daddy's money merely paved the way for your success, you are required to complete the test displayed on your holographic tablets in front of you. Those of you who fail, you will be thrown from this classroom and never be invited back. You have until the final bell.' The excitement had died a twisted death as everyone hurriedly began the test in front of them. Svetlanka held back her saddened expression; they couldn't know that this test was designed to provide one result: for every single person in the class to fail. This served two purposes. Firstly, it allowed her to keep those who showed true promise and kick out those who did not belong here by observing the way her students engaged with the questions. Secondly, it would show the students that failure wasn't always an avoidable option regardless of the study conducted.

Svetlanka swept towards the door, pulled the twenty foot contraption open before easily climbing the polished wood, sitting delicately on the spacious top of the door. Her students stared at her for a moment as she looked down on their bewildered expressions.

'Don't even think about cheating.' She warned while swinging her legs gently against the polished wood. Her eyes scanned across the crowd of students and fixed on one male in particular who was separated from the other humans grouped near the front of the amphitheatre. Unlike the rest of the students who were bent over their tablets and frowning as their minds tried to grapple with problems beyond their current knowledge, he was relaxed against his chair, occasionally noting something down on the holographic tablet in front of him. His appearance categorised him as being human but his aura... Svetlanka sat a little straighter when she realised her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. This was an aura she'd never encountered before. It didn't shimmer like Vulcans, its colours weren't constantly changing like humans, it was one which appeared to… _glow_.

Svetlanka leant closer, her eyes narrowing on the student displaying such a peculiar aura. Pale skin, dark hair carefully combed back and an athletic physique. There was no frown pulling at his eyebrows compared with his fellow classmates and he seemed so much older than he looked. That calm, collected disposition was one which took years to train and could only be tried and tested in stressful situations. Mid-sentence, he stopped writing down an answer and slowly raised his eyes; his gaze connecting with the Waskren ludicrously perched on top of the door. Icy blue eyes glared at Svetlanka for a moment, demanding every ounce of her attention before the student hunched over his work and continued with the test paper.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

'Time's up!' Svetlanka called, elegantly dismounting from her high perch and landing lightly on her feet. 'Test results will be posted outside of this classroom concerning who stays in this module.' She called. Svetlanka loved hearing some of the students loudly boast to others how they'd "completely aced" that test and how this class was "going to be piss easy" Forcing students to take a test like this always highlighted their best and worst qualities regardless of what the student might have to say on the subject. She approached the podium and collected the tests onto the mainframe before sending them to her own inbox. She'd correct them later but for now, she needed to have a quick chat with that male student –

He was gone. The mysterious student with the strange aura had vanished from his chair, probably the first to exit the amphitheatre as everyone began to leave. She frowned for a moment, wondering if her staring had scared him off. Humans did have some strange quirks concerning acceptable length for eye contact.

* * *

Correcting a bunch of tests knowing every single person was going to fail was really quite depressing. Svetlanka had already handed out thirty-four fail grades and the highest mark so far had been a meagre 14%. She finished marking paper number 35, stamping it with a paltry 9%, and moved onto paper 36. She stifled a yawn before pulling up the file in front of her. The holographic test glowed blue in front of her tired eyes and she began correcting the paper. As she progressed through the ten questions, her eyes began to widen considerably.

'Holy shit!' She murmured as she finished correcting the last question and entered the number into the final grade box.

'_0%_?' She muttered disgustedly, going through the test once again before accepting what her eyes were telling her. No-one had ever received 0% in this test before; the students were far too competent to retrieve such a low grade.

'Who is this Khan character?' She said aloud while searching for his file on the Academy's database. Khan Noonien Singh was his full name and Svetlanka was not surprised to see the corresponding picture belonging to the student who possessed such an interesting and strange aura. His blue eyes were dulled in the picture and didn't possess that diamond-rough dimension from earlier. Svetlanka stared at the picture for a long time, a tingling sensation running along her arms and back made her very aware that something to do with this Khan character wasn't right. Incorporated into this exam was a hidden I.Q test, one which Svetlanka had greatly prided herself on seamlessly interweaving into the questions. The I.Q points were calculated on the manner in which the student had engaged with the questions and Khan's answers demonstrated a capability for thinking on a superior scale than even the most extreme geniuses of the human race. The number she derived for Khan's I.Q was well north of 300.

_If his I.Q is truly this high, he should have breezed through this paper._

The thought did nothing to calm her growing suspicions concerning Khan Noonien Singh.

* * *

The next week, Svetlanka entered the amphitheatre to find a very disgruntled looking class grimly facing her. There were noticeable holes in the once tightly packed auditorium, people had either lost faith in themselves and hadn't come back or had been forced to leave.

'For those of you who are still here, congratulations. You've passed the first test of this module.'

'But Ms Kranst, none of us actually passed the test!' A voice called from the front.

'Not everything is about attaining a certain percentage. That paper as I'm sure you've concluded; was far too complex for students beginning Advanced Weaponry. In a few years, I expect each and every one of you to re-take this test and receive a full 100%! Now, onto today's topic of discussion, the torpedo…' Khan was there, sitting quietly on his own at the back of her class, taking notes on his tablet but never looking up from his hunched position. As she paced backwards and forwards, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of torpedoes to the wide-eyed class, she was relieved and terrified to find that she had not imagined his glowing aura. It was truly original, like nothing she'd ever encountered before.

The bell went some fifty minutes later and the students hurriedly packed up their belongings and headed towards the old doors. Svetlanka quickly followed the mob out of the door and saw Khan striding off on his own down a staircase. She descended the stairs quickly, heading into some sort of locker area.

'Khan Noonien Singh?' She called when he was in danger of escaping around a corner. The tall figure halted and he slowly turned around as Svetlanka drew level with him.

'How can I be of service, Ms Kranst?' His voice was surprisingly deep, resonating around the deserted locker room despite the low volume employed.

'I've a few questions I wish to ask you…' Svetlanka said, trying to ignore the way her skin was prickling beneath his steely blue gaze.

* * *

**Updated within 24 hours because I felt guilty for not updating the story for ten days. Reviews are the fuel which sustain my frantic writings, I know it sounds needy but unfortunately it's true!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Some Questions Don't Have Easy Answers. **

'What, might I ask; has inspired your curiosity?' Khan's face was a placid mask; calm, in control, one which she'd seen many a human over the years attempt to wear. However, she'd met none who could execute the technique like the student standing over her.

'Well, to begin with; you received 0% in the class test.' She fired the words out harshly, not caring if she harmed his pride. 'I have to inform you that in all my time teaching at the Academy, this is a first.'

'Is this my dismissal from your module?'

'Normally I would say yes.'

'But…?'

'This situation you see… it falls outside the average protocol regarding failing students.'

'I don't understand.'

'I'll be happy to explain things to you in a more… _professional_ setting. You never know who might be listening in a cellar full of lockers.' She cast her eyes around the half-lit basement. 'My office hours finish at seven; I would appreciate it if you paid me a visit after this time to discuss your paper. Not to mention your future in my class.'

'My last lecture finishes at six; I'll be there after seven.' Khan said automatically, his aura shimmering suspiciously but remained beyond Svetlanka's interpretation. She brushed past the troublesome student, deliberately knocking her shoulder against his. Her lips dropped an apology though her body language simply ratified the meaning behind their graze of shoulders: she was not going to let this drop.

A sharp intake of breath coupled with Khan's body fossilizing into that of silent limestone grabbed her attention. Svetlanka turned and was surprised to find the student sporting flushed cheeks and wide eyes, frankly as confused by this physical progression as his professor. Fingers clenched at his sides, his knuckles threatening to break through his pale skin and bite into someone's flesh. The diamond roughness of his steely gaze faded, leaving a circular drop of ocean in each eye punctured by an abnormally large black hole.

'Are you feeling alright Khan? You look like you're coming down with a fever…' Svetlanka murmured, automatically placing a hand against his enraged cheek. She quickly dropped her arm, remembering the policy of "no touching!" as the Dean had lovingly phrased it concerning the relationship between students and professors. Humans had that weird policy with skin contact, one she was constantly forgetting – like with the staring. It didn't mean anything back on Dorzu but here it was an offense worthy of court.

Ludicrous.

'I'm…I'm…' Khan shook his head for a moment, his eyes finding solace with the unevenly tiled floor. 'I'm fine. Need a good night's sleep, been having too much fun.' Svetlanka didn't need to read his aura to tell he was lying.

'My office. After seven.' She reminded him before walking away from the strange student. She chanced a glance behind her as she reached the stairs but was bewildered to find the locker room deserted.

* * *

A strict knock at her door announced the arrival of Svetlanka's most interesting student.

'Come in Mr Singh.' She said, not looking away from the holograph of the solar system floating over her desk.

'Professor.' Came the prompt reply.

'Take a seat.' Svetlanka said with a lazy wave towards the chairs facing her. Usually this was a mundane task completed within seconds but not with this particular office. It would take a true eccentric to match the collection of chairs awaiting Khan's selection, one which he quickly found himself staring at. Should he choose the shocking-blue armchair so overstuffed with feathers it appeared to be more lumpy animal than seat? Or perhaps the bottle green, high-backed chair which was taller than his erect frame, bordered with an incredible array of jewels which glittered offensively in the dim light? Neither compared to the alarming shade of yellow which clothed the central chair, adopting what could only be described as the texture of a boa constrictor, the scales neatly fitting together and giving the impression the seat was moving. The last chair was racing-car red, so very LOUD but still managed to paint the beautifully stitched panels of leather without marring its fine craftsmanship.

'Interesting.' Svetlanka murmured as she noticed the red chair Khan chose.

'Another test?' Khan did his best to keep the irritation from his voice.

'Yes.'

'Did I pass?'

'This isn't a test you can fail.' Svetlanka shrugged before leaning forward, her features bizarrely lit by the hologram. 'You're red. That makes sense.'

'I'm… red?'

'Yes. And I'm obviously green, with hints of yellow. '

'Obviously.'

Svetlanka sat back and observed Khan Noonien Singh, wondering in what way she should begin this conversation. 'If the red chair wasn't present, your next choice would be the blue one, am I correct?'

'How did you–'

'I've watched many people make the decision you've just made Mr Singh. It would be a fine disgrace if I had no expertise on the subject.' She stretched for a moment, her long arms sheltering her face from the beams of light fitted into the ceiling above.

'Your tattoos. They're not real?' Khan asked as his eyes raked over Svetlanka's naked cheeks.

'Nope. Freshly inked every day, you can imagine how long it takes; I have to get up early to make sure I do them justice.'

'I didn't think the Academy would allow one of their top lecturers to display such blatant success in the line of thievery.'

'Looks like someone's done their research on Waskrens.' Svetlanka smirked as she lazily slouched against her chair.

'They're a highly interesting race, not to mention incredibly intelligent. Your resourcefulness must be truly incredible to be rewarded those tattoos from a species famous for their creative problem-solving.' Svetlanka turned off the hologram of the solar system and slowly leant forward, her eyes boring into Mr Singh's.

'I see why she likes you.' She eventually muttered after giving the student a thorough once-over.

'_Who_ exactly?'

'The professor of inter-galactic physics. Your flattery is very precise; I'd almost employ the word clinical. Not too much, not too cheesy, just enough to get a girl's heartbeat to quicken _ever _so slightly.'

'Professor –'

'Do you really believe that by drawing attention to what successes I am already familiar with will deter me from pursuing the path I've chosen regarding you Mr Singh? You need to conduct some more research if you think the same tactics which woo a divorced, lonely forty-year old professor will work on me. I am far too old and experienced to let you get the better of me in that regard.'

Khan's gaze was stony once again, matching the body language from that curious episode earlier on where fever seemed to strike at random.

'It must have escaped your attention that combined in my start-of-term exam was an accurate IQ test.' Khan's face darkened slightly at what he'd obviously missed. 'Can you think what irregularity I might have found with regards to your IQ score Mr Singh?'

'Please, call me Khan.' He pronounced his name with rigid defiance. 'And I'm afraid you will have to enlighten my obvious ignorance.' This meeting was evidently not following any plan he'd previously conducted.

'You see, here's what I don't understand. Your test result states you got everything wrong, yet your IQ argues that for you, this paper should have been as easy as breathing. That's the general consensus for those who score into the 300's on the intelligence test. Then there's the little quibble of this number not matching the IQ stated on your Academy record.'

'As flattering as that is professor, I'm afraid there's been some sort of mistake. Perhaps your test –'

'There's no mistake Khan.'

'If you want, I can take an IQ test for you right now –'

'So I can watch you cheat your way into average superior intelligence instead of the category you belong to? It's very easy to convince those who possess not even half of your IQ that you are of the same intelligence as them. It is a fine sight harder to convince someone within your intelligence bracket of the same thing.' Khan's eyes reluctantly fixed on Svetlanka's restless gaze. 'I am of course, referring to myself here.' She added.

'But it was just a test –'

'I don't have to rely on the test to tell me that your very existence in this university is suspicious. You look human. Your records state that this is the race you belong to. But we both know that's not true.'

'Professor…!'His voice was deeper, softer. Imploring her not to venture down this unchartered path.

'You're not human.'

'_Not_ human? If I am not human then what am I; a Waskren like you? No, I do not possess the ability to feel others emotions. Then a Vulcan perhaps? I am sorely lacking in their psychopathic disposition, not to mention slanted eyebrows. I'm sorry professor, but this is ridiculous not to mention unprofessional. Your test is _wrong_.'

'Is it now?'

'Yes. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go. I look forward to your next lecture.' He said icily before rising out of his chair and heading towards the door.

'You're wrong Khan.' She called after him. Half way through twisting the door knob, he turned around, his eye blazing.

'About what?' He growled, the deepness of his voice spiking trails of heat down Svetlanka's back.

'I don't _feel_ others emotions.'

'Of course you do, you're a Waskren.' He argued. Svetlanka shook her head, a pitying look settling onto her features.

'I should phrase that better. I don't feel emotions Khan as I don't have the need for such a cumbersome distraction.'

'So you just turn it _off? _'He asked sarcastically.

'No. I simply see.' An eerie silence fell between the professor and student as the latter tried to grapple with this concept. His curiosity demanding to be satisfied, he slowly returned to his seat in the hopes of further enlightenment.

'And what exactly is it that you _see_?' He hissed.

'Your aura.'

'I'm afraid you'll find no halo around my head, professor.'

'Not exactly what I'm looking for. You see, here's the problem Khan. You don't possess a human aura. You may have everyone else fooled in the Academy but you cannot fool my eyes.'

'I don't believe you.' He swallowed nervously.

'Fine then, let me show you.' She gestured towards the full length window to the side of her study. She rose and gracefully walked towards the long panes of glass, watching the students saunter pass her ground floor office. 'Closer.' She ordered softly, forcing Khan to stand right next to her.

'What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?' He rudely demanded.

'This.' Svetlanka pressed two of her fingers against the back of Khan's hand, ignoring the way his hand flinched from the contact. 'Don't pull away. Just look.' Khan gazed out of the window and his breath caught in the back of his throat. Whatever Svetlanka's hand was doing, he was somehow being allowed to see what she evidently saw every waking moment of her life. Auras. The word didn't do justice to the tangible _stuff _surrounding the heads of those attending the Academy. He quickly identified the aura of a human; the dynamic switches from colour to colour were easy enough to spot and he wondered how it was possible to concentrate on any one thing when so much aura was vying for his attention.

After a solid minute of staring blankly at those he would usually ignore, Svetlanka removed her fingers away from his warm flesh. Khan expelled a breath he hadn't realised he was holding and abruptly moved away from the Waskren who had triggered such a bizarre reaction in him earlier. He didn't want to experience that embarrassment again, something like that which was so beyond his control he classified more as humiliating than exhilarating.

'I presume you identified the human aura? It's quite distinctive.' Svetlanka said quietly, her arms folded around a finely embroidered cardigan enveloping her upper half.

'Yes.' Khan breathed.

'Would you like me to show you what I see when I look at you? All that's needed is a mirror.' Khan ran a hand through his carefully combed hair, dishevelling the hairstyle completely so his fringe collapsed over his forehead. He suddenly looked older, a fact which took Svetlanka by surprise. A steely blue eye peered through the black gossamer strands, a dimension of defeat screaming through what had once been undisturbed ocean.

'That will be unnecessary.' He replied quietly, re-taking his fire truck red chair and balancing his right foot on his left knee, a frown of worry pulling at his brows. 'Take a seat professor. I had hoped this would be an explanation I wouldn't have to divulge during my time at this university but it appears you've left me no choice…'

* * *

**Out of curiosity, which chair from Svetlanka's office would you have taken? The reviews, follows and favourites are overwhelming considering the small amount of chapters I've posted. Thank you so much. **


	7. Chapter 7

**The Talented Liar**

'During the global warming crisis, prestigious companies were doing everything in their power to find a planet which would substitute as Earth when the ozone layer became completely eradicated. On one such voyage, my planet was discovered.' This was Khan's opening line, and boy, was it a cracker.

'So you're not from Earth?' Svetlanka asked, leaning forward in her chair.

'No. I am from a planet which will not show up in your databases. It has remained unchartered you see.'

'And why would it remain unchartered?'

'It awaits the successful completion of an experiment.'

'And this experiment would be…?'

'Whether I graduate successfully from the Academy or not. The captain of the vessel who discovered our planet, who I will leave unnamed for obvious reasons, wanted to see if our kind could successfully integrate with those already declared members of the inter-galactic society. This will be based off my performance here in the university. It was presumed that due to my race's close genetic links to humans that I would pass unnoticed. And I almost did too.' He said quietly while glancing at the Waskren carefully observing him.

'When do you return home?'

'After successful graduation.'

'And if you don't manage to graduate?'

'Then I don't.' Svetlanka sat back in her chair and gently poured herself a tall drink, not so much to calm her jangling nerves but simply for something to do.

'Here's what doesn't make sense Khan: the global warming crisis ended over a decade ago. Why are you still here if your planet is not needed for the evacuation of Earth's population?' The elegant glass found its way into her hand, her fingertips pressing gently against the expensive crystal.

'I was transported from my home planet as a baby when global warming was an inevitable event. The great man who brought me here, it was he who insisted that I continue with his experiment and that if I manage to complete my mission, great things would result of it.'

'And you're happy with staying here, doing what this Captain commands?'

'I find myself in a privileged position to receive such a stately education.' Khan's expression was quite fierce as he said this. 'It makes sense, does it not? You have never come into contact with my people hence why my aura would be completely unfamiliar to you.'

'Is everyone on your planet as smart as you?'

'Yes.'

'Good. Now all that's left to say is simply this: if you ever try to pull the wool over my eyes again with concerns to deliberately failing your tests, I'll have you kicked out of this Academy so quickly, you won't have time to mourn your lost chance to go home. Do I make myself clear?'

'Perfectly professor.'

'See you at the next lecture then.' She said dismissively, once again switching on her solar system hologram and examining the planets gently revolving around the sun. Khan slowly vacated his chair and turned towards the door. He twisted the handle but found himself reluctant to leave.

'Professor?'

'Yes Khan?'

'If you tell anyone –'

'My lips are sealed. I give you my word Khan Noonien Singh.' Her eyes ripped away from the hologram and she looked at him coldly. 'If you've conducted any decent research on Waskrens, you know what that means.'

'I do. And I appreciate it greatly.'

'Yeah, yeah. Close the door nice and tight on your way out will you?'

'Yes professor.' The door snapped shut and Svetlanka immediately turned off her hologram, slammed her drink on the table and began pacing the spacious interior of her office, her long skirt whispering after her long strides. An unchartered planet, a captain without a name and a strong, sentimentally provoking story concerning Khan's true reason for residing in the Academy.

All total bullshit.

Svetlanka had been watching and storing every small detail she could make sense of with regards to Khan's aura, information which she studied in full now. She was almost positive she could tell when he was lying; his aura seemed to ripple at every suspicious fact which fell from his poisonous lips. From the moment he'd entered her office, he had lied to almost every question she'd asked of him and she was confident that her suspicions working their way through her gut weren't inspired by any personal dislike triggered from his haughty character. The main question which remained, the one which Khan had avoided answering, was what race he belonged to. Unless he was a Klingon, there was little to be ashamed of with regards to old prejudices. Svetlanka knew he wasn't from Kronos; that no Klingon blood resided in his veins. He was too human in appearance and aura for that. But not human enough to _be_ human. He'd admitted that much himself.

So who exactly was Khan Noonien Singh?

Svetlanka searched the database, pulling Khan's file and scanning through the information until she stumbled upon who had sponsored his education. An unknown called Dr Arik Soong who taught the subject of cryogenic freezing in a far off university. She conducted some more research of him but could only find an article about the government giving the doctor a large military grant due to the new weapons he'd painstakingly cultivated. Svetlanka wondered if it would be unorthodox for a specialist in weapon's technology to pay such a doctor a visit. She concluded it wouldn't and hurriedly sent him a message, her fingers tapping the polished table in impatience as she re-read her message, venting some falsehood about wanting to see an expert at work in his lab. Her eyes fell on the red chair Khan had just vacated and worry stirred in the pit of her stomach. Nothing ever good happened to those who picked that particular chair.

Svetlanka vowed one thing as she shut down her computer and stared into a dark corner of her office. She would find out who this Khan character was and discover his true intentions regarding her university. One thing was for sure, apart from his name, the man had not spoken a grain of truth to her about his background or his reasons for attending the Academy. And that was something which Svetlanka could not allow to pass unchallenged.

* * *

'How long did it take for Khan to realise the biological reaction he was having was caused by your scent?' Captain Kirk asked, his eyes fixed on the Waskren who had paused in her recital of a story long past.

'Neither of us knew for quite some time what was the actual cause, it was something which he struggled with to such a degree that he eventually stopped breathing when he was around me.'

'That's right, Augments don't need oxygen.' Kirk said with a slight shake of his head. 'And this Dr Arik Soong, his sponsor, what part did he have to play in all of this?'

'As you know, Khan's story of hailing from a far off planet was complete codswallop; he is a genetically engineered superhuman. And that engineer just so happened to be Dr Arik Soong.'

'And he sent him to the Academy?' Kirk asked incredulously.

'It is my opinion that he wanted to see just how well his creation would survive in society. If it hadn't been for my ability to perceive auras, Khan would have passed through the Academy as a quietly brilliant student, achieving above average grades and suppressing his genius in order to graduate quite unnoticed and return to his creator.'

'What kind of a person creates genetically engineered superhumans and enters them into society?'

'Someone who was paid a handsome sum to produce such weapons.'

'It's only a weapon if it can be controlled. Augments are run by their own beliefs; they make their own barbaric rules. We both know this.'

'Yes, but Dr Arik Soong was unaware of the aggression instilled in his creations. He had no idea how they would turn on the very race which had allowed for their existence.'

'Khan, he sounds as arrogant as always and seems to have possessed that annoying know-it-all dimension to his personality but where was his savagery? I'm surprised he didn't outright kill you when you accused him of being something other than human.'

'I'm sure the thought crossed his mind. But you needn't worry Captain; Khan's barbarism comes into the story quite soon.' Svetlanka returned her attention to the keypad of the small shuttle and she typed in a few commands, pulling up a map of the sector of space they were flying through. 'I'm afraid that story will have to wait for another time Captain. We're five minutes away from our destination. By now Khan will have already docked and been escorted on-board.' The shuttle was silent for a moment as Kirk readied himself for the retrieval of the superhuman he was regretting waking up.

'There's just one thing that bothers me…' He murmured, the stun gun glinting evilly in the dimmed lights.

'And what might that be?'

'Your reputation doesn't usually involve the abduction of live creatures. You normally amuse your talents with stealing objects, not people.'

'Do you think Khan is a thing or a person?'

'Just because he's being used as an object, doesn't make him any less of a person.'

'How conflicted you are Captain. You should make sure to tell Khan this when he wraps his fingers around your throat.'

'This seems very unlike you.'

'How would you know what is or isn't like me Captain? You barely know me.'

'Your track record speaks for itself. Why bother infiltrating my ship for a person? And more interestingly, why go to all of this trouble to help me bring him back?'

'I want to collect my reward.'

'Ah. And what could possibly motivate you to ascend to the heights of kidnapping?' Svetlanka slowly turned and looked the Captain over coldly.

'There is one thing which I will stop at nothing to get my hands on. And this client of mine happens to have it.'

'What is it?'

'The Eugenics war didn't suddenly happen Captain, it smouldered for years before a spark finally ignited the chaos. During those former years, many lives were either lost or marred. On one such occasion, my nephew…' Svetlanka exhaled sharply. 'He was attacked by Augments. When I arrived, the damage inflicted was beyond my expertise to repair so I did the only thing I could with the resources surrounding me.'

'Which was…?'

'I cryogenically froze him.'

'Jesus, how many frozen men are _in_ this galaxy?'

'More than there should be. I then had to leave him to find my other family who were in danger of ambush. I returned later to find the wing destroyed, my nephew's crate was not among the wreckage. It had not simply vanished Captain, someone had taken him. For the past three centuries I believed his body to be lost. That is until my client contacted me.'

'I'm sensing an inevitable double cross where you pretend to help me, receive your nephew as prize winnings then throw me to the wolves and leave Khan to rot in whatever corner of this ship that I have yet to see.'

'I owe you too much for that.' Svetlanka murmured.

'You _owe_ me?'

'Obviously. Any Captain in their right mind would have contacted the authorities and had me promptly sentenced to death but you… you put up with my double escape and the release of your top security prisoner into the hands of an unknown. You have spared me Captain Kirk… I give you my word I will not double cross you when we arrive.'

'Shake on that.' Kirk said, his eyes intensifying to an alarming degree as he offered his hand over the gap separating them.

'You've done your research.'

'I know. If you shake and then break your word, according to Waskren tradition, you're to be burned at the stake for cowardice.' Svetlanka sighed for a moment before taking the Captain's hand and pumping it up and down. 'I give you my word I will not double cross you in our mission to rescue Khan Noonien Singh.' She said formally.

'Good. Now, I suppose we should formulate a plan on how we want this abduction to play out.'

'You don't have a _plan_?'

'Oh I do… it's just a little hazy on the details.'

Svetlanka suddenly understood that the situation was beyond hopeless. It was as if this shuttle was a vault being delivered to a slaughtering factory and herself and Jim Kirk were the only lambs left in the entire universe.

* * *

**Updated within 24 hours. I. Am. On. Fire! No seriously, if someone could get me a blanket or maybe a fire extinguisher, that would be lovely as the flames are becoming a ****_little_**** uncomfortable. In other news relating to this story, I am curious. Do you believe Svetlanka's client will be hospitable to Captain Kirk?**

**P.S You're all darlings for reviewing, favouriting and following this story. Yes I'm from Europe and that is how I spell favourite. With the "u" intact. Heh. **


	8. Chapter 8

'You clear on the plan?' Captain Kirk demanded as their shuttle settled into the docking bay of an intimidatingly larger ship.

'There's not much to be clear about, Captain. This plan doesn't exactly have many steps.' Svetlanka muttered as they both stood in the pre-agreed formation, eyes on the entrance.

'Alright then, let's get this over with. And remember, don't break character.'

'Captain, you don't need to worry. I'm more than aware of how to fabricate fiction.' The doors abruptly hissed open and they were greeted by a barricade consisting of lean men wearing helmets and pointing heavy guns into the centre of their small ship.

'Lady Kranst, you are expected. Your guest however, is not. You are aware that bringing him here violates your agreement with your employer?' The voice was modified by special microphones instilled in the base of the guard's helmet. It was impossible to tell what species he belonged to.

'It does _not_ change my agreement with him.' Svetlanka snapped. 'This man is merely the cherry to top the elaborate cake I've delivered. My hostage; Captain Jim Kirk of the Enterprise.' Her stun gun dug into Jim's shoulder blades. 'An extra something to sweeten my deal with my employer. Now let us on board.' She ordered. With reluctant eyes veiled behind his reflective helmet, the commanding officer in the unmarked uniform stepped to the side and allowed Svetlanka access to the ship. She wasted no time and hurried her supposed prisoner along the brightly lit corridor, ignoring the light thunder of footsteps marching in her wake.

'Where are we going?' Kirk muttered beneath his breath as doors leading to other parts of the ship were promptly ignored.

'To meet my client.'

'Does this man have a name?'

'Not that I know of. And stop looking at me like that.'

'Like what?'

'Like you're judging me.'

'I'm not –'

'Captain please, I can _see_ your aura.'

'Well, maybe I find your lack of knowledge surrounding your employer slightly… unprofessional.'

'Slightly?'

'Alright, a _lot_ then. Not to mention it might be a little bit stupid. And what's with all the helmets and robotic voices?'

'The helmets are for me. They're made of a peculiar compound which stops me from perceiving their auras.'

'That… is very smart.' The Captain fell silent as they entered what appeared to be the control centre of the ship. It was huge and looked strangely familiar to Kirk. His eyes widened when he realised where he'd seen this exact captain's lounge before.

'Ah, welcome Lady Kranst!' Announced a figure draped in the Captain's chair, their back turned to them. 'Your work is always so professional, so _clinical_. I must applaud you on the success of your mission especially as your instructions were… hazy to say the least.' The mysterious man rose and turned, his face concealed by a reflective helmet similar to that which his crew wore, but more delicate in texture and material.

'If you would be so kind as to hand your phaser gun to my steward, we can begin proceedings.' He gestured towards one of the guards who Svetlanka reluctantly surrendered her firearm. Yes it was standard procedure but when she was involved in a double cross, she preferred to be armed. Things worked out less messily that way.

'I take it Khan arrived safely?' Svetlanka asked briskly.

'His journey was uneventful though he produced some rude resistance upon initial docking. Nothing my crew wasn't able to control of course.' The eyes however, were still visible and they observed the pair through rigid irises. 'Come now, don't be strangers! You need to introduce me to your companion.'

'May I present Captain Jim Kirk of the Enterprise.' Svetlanka said quietly.

'I'm familiar with the troublesome Captain, though I remain somewhat perplexed. What is he doing on my ship?'

'Oh well I think that's pretty obvious –'

'I was of the opinion he could be of use to you.' Svetlanka said quickly, throwing Kirk a filthy look to remain silent.

'How exactly? A brilliant but hot-headed Captain is of no use to a ship who is already in possession of one.'

'You know I wouldn't have risked bringing him out here unless it was for a good reason.' She argued firmly. 'It's in relation to Khan. Captain Kirk had the most experience dealing with Khan after he was initially awoken two years ago.'

'You present an interesting argument, one which I will think over thoroughly over the next few hours. In the meantime, Jim Kirk will be treated with the dignity a captured Captain deserves though he will receive said treatment in one of our top security cells. And Lady Kranst, a room has been prepared for you, after some rest; we can discuss your… _reward_.' Kirk was roughly taken from Svetlanka's protection and marched from the brig. Svetlanka arranged her features into one of simple disinterest, thanked her client for his hospitality and hurried towards her prepared room.

As hot water chased away the aches her body had received aboard the Enterprise, Svetlanka's thoughts refused to slow down. Yes, so far everything was going to plan. They were both still alive and Kirk was being stored in a place which hopefully neighboured Khan's prison. There remained the small fact that upon introducing her hostage, two things had happened: One. Kirk had recognised something important either in his surroundings or in her client. Two. Her client was being _nice_,_ understanding_. Svetlanka had only dealt with him once before but had heard many a story of what happened to those who deviated away from their missions. None had included stories of the client adopting a nice, understanding tone. This meant one thing; she was in trouble. Probably marked for assassination the moment she stepped on the ship. This meant the entire rescue would have to be undertaken with her usual grace coupled with intense time pressure. She had to make her move – and it had to be soon otherwise Kirk and herself would be killed and Khan would remain a lucrative blood-bank for her client to do God only knew what with.

She angrily turned the water off and wrapped a towel tightly around her dripping body. There also remained the most important part of this entire mission: the retrieval of her nephew. So until she had her hands on his cryogenically frozen container, she couldn't start the rescue operation. The ship was massive and without concise directions, her little nephew would be lost forever.

Roughly an hour later, a sharp knock on her room beckoned her to join the client in the Captain's lounge for some dinner. As soon as Svetlanka sat at the table laden with food, her client began to speak, his voice distorted by the contraption nestled near his vocal chords.

'I've made my decision concerning Captain Kirk, Lady Kranst.'

'Oh?'

'You know how little patience I have with useless things, be they objects or people.'

'More than aware.'

'He is not and asses and he knows too much, therefore the conclusion is simple. Kirk cannot be permitted to live.' This was to be expected, though Svetlanka would have preferred if her client had given her a few more hours. Upon boarding this ship, it had been agreed between her and the Captain that two rescues would have to take place: firstly Khan's and after his imprisonment, Kirk himself.

'How will you kill him?' She asked in a bored tone, examining the tips of her fingernails with an air of disinterest.

'Nothing fancy, release him into space without a suit and helmet.'

'Simple. Always effective.' She mused.

'It's how I like to run things. Now, enough chit chat! Eat!' He said while extending his open palms towards the feast in front of her. She reached forward and slowly began piling food onto her plate, painfully aware that her client's plate remained empty and he made no acknowledgment of the food mountain in front of him.

'Is everything alright?' The client asked, noticing Svetlanka pause in her transport of boiled potatoes from their little boat of butter at the centre of the table.

'I didn't realise I was dining alone.' She commented, completing her potato run and picking up her knife and fork.

'Normally I would join in, but the helmet… I'm sure you understand how unprofessional it would be for me to remove it in your presence. I don't like showing any form of vulnerability if I can help it.'

'Your helmet, that's what I thought!' Svetlanka said while clicking her fingers, trying to sound convincing as she speared a tender slice of beef on her fork. She swirled the beef in some peppercorn sauce, popped the cutlet in her mouth and as she chewed, she smiled at the masked face of her client.

'Mmm. Hats off to the chef on your boat. This is beautiful.' She continued to chew, the delicate flavours tickling her throat, paving the way for the rest of her meal.

'It's rare to have royalty on-board. I'm sorry if it doesn't reach the high standards you're undoubtedly used to.'

'You just try and stop me from finishing this plate of food.' Svetlanka said with a smile, ripping into some exquisitely rendered roast potatoes. 'I must admit, the poison does create an odd sort of after-taste. But I guess that's just the chef experimenting with different ingredients, looking for the ultimate combination of textures and flavours.' Svetlanka's client went rigid as she continued to finish off her plate of food, delicately wiping her mouth with a napkin as she settled her cutlery at the centre of her spotless plate. 'Now, there's no point spoiling a good meal with poison in an attempt to assassinate me.' She continued in a pleasant tone. 'I've been alive for a few centuries, I'd be mad if I hadn't set aside time to develop some sort of immunity to the poisons regularly used in assassination. Now, the tangy aftertaste is signature of rat poison but you think too highly of me to kill me with a weapon used to exterminate vermin. So in that case, it must be something with more sophistication.' Her client now rose; his hand on the stun gun buckled at his waist. 'Such a shame. You double crossing me like this. And all I wanted was my nephew…'

'If all you wanted was your nephew, you'd have left that meddling Captain behind you.' Svetlanka used a toothpick to dislodge a sliver of meat between her front teeth, but the action was forgotten when she suddenly identified the poison her client had decided to use against her. The news was terrifying, not because of its entrance into Svetlanka's system (which thankfully was a far cry from fatal) but because of who invented and produced this poison. It was her auto-pilot which guided her beneath the table as her client fired off a fatal shot from his phaser gun. She heard the shatter of crockery above, though she felt numb to the current threat against her life. Much more troubling thoughts dominated her mind, worries which were quickly realised as the door to the Captain's lounge hissed open and in stepped five pairs of large, haughty feet. Feet which did not belong to the agile guards who had initially brought her on board.

'The enemy of your ancestors is under the table! Kill her!' Her client snarled, well _tried_ to snarl, his voice was like a decayed version of Robocop. Svetlanka's eyes quickly rose and locked with her new assailants, her emotions a kaleidoscopic avalanche which twisted her gut beyond fear and anger. Her discomfort was perfectly understandable as those who wished to kill her stepped closer, their ugly faces illuminated by the harsh lights of the room.

Five heavily-armed Klingons were slowly stalking towards Svetlanka, their heavily pierced, snarling features lusting for the complete extinction of the Waskren race.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay. I have ironed out the creases in this story and know exactly what the next ten chapters will consist of! I hate writing without some notion of where I'm headed, it makes for sloppy writing. I'll be posting again tomorrow to make up for my lack of posts on this particular story. Thank you for your patience, your follows, reviews and favourites always make writing for this fandom - and this site, more than worthwhile. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Unfortunate Allies**

Waskrens didn't dream.

Unlike the natives of Earth whose subconscious bubbled to the surface in a raw burst of creative energy, Waskrens relived their memories when they drifted to sleep. Some were good memories from a time long past, others inspired terror from the previous day, inflicting the same fear which had only been overcome. Waking from such vivid memories was not something which could be described as "pleasant" but there were certain ways to control what exact memories were relived.

Svetlanka had lost this ability after the Klingons had committed their horrendous genocide against her race over three centuries ago. When she closed her eyes, all she saw was the face which looked as if it were hewn from leather, ridges of skin mounting high over the forehead and spilling onto the hairless crown. The lip curled in a permanent snarl, the rings looping through the folds of skin depicting gruesome achievements recognised by their brutal race. Their auras were also disturbingly harsh to perceive, floating around their heads like a bloody mist, signifying their constant lust for bloodshed. But all this combined did not render a terrifying appearance; it was the eyes – and the eyes alone – which inspired such horror in Svetlanka's sleep. Large; merciless, glowering like smouldering sapphires within the mask of crudely hewn leather, widening at the scent of a hunt.

Svetlanka felt memory and reality lazily mix together as the nearest Klingon, the only one who had removed his heavy helmet, stooped and dragged her from beneath the table, his hand clasped around her throat. Svetlanka's body froze in terror as she felt the pressure increase around her neck, her bones suddenly feeling very brittle. Though she understood which race this thing belonged to, she did not recognise the Klingon himself.

Then out of nowhere, as is the nature with inspiration, she had a bizarre epiphany. None of the Klingons who had slaughtered her own family were alive anymore. Back at her days during the university before the Eugenics war, she'd learnt that the oldest Klingon lived to be 200 years old… though to live and die of old age without carving yourself a bloody place in the Klingon history books was considered a great dishonour.

The knowledge that she'd outlived all of the Klingons who had executed her race suddenly gave her a savage strength to fight back. A strangled cry escaped her lips and her eyes widened maddeningly for a moment before she kicked out with a savage force at her assailant's kneecap, feeling the bone beneath the Klingon's armour snap. A roar of pain coupled with a slight loosening of the Klingon's grip allowed Svetlanka to drop to the floor. Klingons were strong, but Svetlanka was more agile and most importantly – faster. She dodged the discharge of what appeared to be some sort of super laser gun before jumping onto the table laden with food, hurtling off the finely polished wood before two of the Klingons unceremoniously upturned the table. She ducked beneath a savage punch before wrenching a Klingon's helmet from his head and dealing a stinging blow to his face. As she momentarily steadied himself, Svetlanka saw a slight gap in the carnage and dove for it, narrowly missing another string of laser beams loosed in her direction.

'AFTER HER!' Her now ex-client roared as Svetlanka slunk through the gap between two Klingon bodies and flew out the door, turning right and hurtling down the brightly lit corridor. She needed to get downstairs but for that to work, she needed an elevator. Ignoring the thunder of feet behind her and the blaring alarm which had been set off announcing the order for her assassination to the entire ship, she spotted one ahead. The ground was a mere streak of white beneath her pounding feet and she put some considerable distance between her and her assailants. She slammed her hand against the lift door which thankfully opened, and threw herself inside the pristine lift. Her eyes racked the list of buttons decorating the left hand side of the lift, eventually slamming one which announced she was going to the basement of this massive ship. The lift plummeted, leaving Svetlanka panting slightly as she momentarily left the company of three roaring Klingons. Panic was beginning to raise its ugly head to which Svetlanka quickly resisted by focusing on her breathing and her immediate goals. The ship was alerted to her presence, her client wanted her dead and she was trying to save two separate prisoners, the location of which she could only use educated guesses to find.

A few seconds later, the lift doors sprang open and Svetlanka found herself in a cavernous hall with no-one but herself for company. Definitely not a cell block, Svetlanka had arrived in what appeared to be this ship's weapon storage. Mountains of lethal weapons salvaged from God only knows where were neatly stored in rows upon rows of shelves, a weapon's expert's dream. Svetlanka quickly reminded herself of the seemingly impossible task in hand and began sprinting down the nearest aisle, her hair flying behind her like some furry sort of cape. There was an entrance to a top security room ahead, one which she had made it her business on previous excursions on this ship to know of, and inside she hoped to find either Khan or Kirk held captive. She opened the door and found herself in another spacious chamber with a sheet of shining glass splitting the room in half. Only a prisoner was present, his guards abandoning their posts immediately to aid the search for Svetlanka. The door automatically locked behind her and a figure stilled in his pacing, his eyes fixed on his newest visitor. An IV bag was placed innocently outside of the glass wall, filled with a horrifyingly familiar liquid.

'Come to gloat?' Khan snarled, his brows contracting fiercely over his face.

He didn't know. But how could he? Kirk hadn't been in contact with him and her client was hardly going to inform his most valuable prisoner of a rescue operation dispatched to pick him up. Khan presumed she'd simply returned from a successful mission and was waiting to boast of her hoodwinking.

'No, not to gloat. Those sirens –' She pointed at the flashing light in the corner '–They're for me.'

Khan's head snapped to the right with a viper like movement, his eyes burning holes through her own. 'Why does your client suddenly want you dead?' He demanded.

'You wouldn't believe me if I told you.'

'It's hard to concentrate on your lies when all I want is my fingers to turn your skull to _dust_.'

Excellent. That would make keeping her vow to Captain Kirk all the more easier, having Khan trying to turn her brain to mush while Klingons tried to kill her first. Damn her species stupid conditions regarding promises!

'Where is my nephew?' She asked, trying her best to distract the incensed augment.

Something shifted in Khan's features and he approached the glass screen as Svetlanka picked up the IV bag of blood and held it with a disgusted look in her hands.

'Your _nephew_?' Khan snarled, his breath misting the spotless surface of his prison cell.

'Don't tell me three centuries of sleep has allowed you to forget him.'

'I will never forget his face, especially as his features squirmed in agony as I dealt him the punishment he deserved.' Svetlanka stared at Khan for a long moment, watching the hatred twist his features, feeling her own facial muscles contract in deepest loathing. 'You still side with your blood on this issue of morality and decide to blame me for doing what I was _obliged_ to do. You have no idea what your nephew has done, a crime which I, and if there had been any other witnesses, could not forgive.'

'_No_.' Svetlanka stepped up to the glass so her body was almost touching it. 'It was you Khan, _your_ savagery, _your_ brutality, _your_ lust for the extermination of all those you deemed "beneath" you which caused this. My kid nephew was an idealistic fool who decided to get in your way.'

'Your memory of the situation has grown faulty with age.'

'_My_ memory?' Svetlanka hissed. 'Do you want to know how I remember that day Khan? How often I think of those events?' She glowered at the augment. 'I have the grand selection of two memories to relive when I sleep. The first is seeing my race completely destroyed by Klingons. The second is finding you moments after you'd brutally assaulted my nephew.'

'Svetlanka –'

'You stood there, pleading with me to understand as blood dripped from your hands onto his mangled form. Every _single_ bone in his body was broken. Irreversible damage for a society three hundred years less advanced compared with today! You _begged_ me not to freeze him and _refused_ to help me drag what was left of his somehow living corpse into a cryogenic freezer.' She took a deep breath. 'Did I forget anything?' She added, silently vowing that she would never allow this beast to escape the confines of his prison cell. There was a convenient loop hole in the promise she'd made to the young Captain, though it came at great personal cost.

'Only the part where you handed me over to the authorities like some sort of terrorist.'

'You _are_ a terrorist.'

'We both know that isn't _quite_ true Svetlanka. You yourself used a far more accurate term before the Eugenics War began: Freedom Fighter.'

'And look at my disgraceful judgement of character.' She felt tears burning to be released from her eyes and she quickly looked to the ground, horribly uncomfortable with showing any vulnerability to the augment watching her. 'Now I won't ask you again Khan. **_Where. Is. My. Nephew?_**'

Khan didn't have an opportunity to respond, something large colliding with the door resonated around the room with a massive _BOOM! _

'Klingons?' Khan asked.

'Yes. Klingons.' Svetlanka could see through the glass that there were at least ten of them.

'Svetlanka, you cannot fight all of them and succeed.'

'I know.' Svetlanka whispered, pushing up the sleeves of her top and smiling slightly. If she died by a Klingon's hand, she would be released of her contract to release Khan from his prison and return him to the custody of Jim Kirk. The Captain would never return to his own ship but that was a price Svetlanka felt was one he should pay for waking the augment prowling around the confines of his cell behind her.

Another cell-trembling crash roared throughout the room as the Klingons tried to blast their way through the door.

'They're coming for you.' Khan whispered.

Svetlanka's muscles tensed as she glared at the door, hating the suspense tingling throughout the air as she waited.

'You are about to take on ten Klingons with no weapons, no allies. You will lose.'

'Then what am I supposed to do Khan?' She asked; her eyes still rooted to the door.

'You know there is only one thing in this room which will greatly improve your chances of survival.'

'Hmm, that thing also claimed he wanted to turn my skull to dust as I entered the room.'

'Some similar claim was made when you first joined my cell on-board the Enterprise.' Svetlanka slowly turned round and faced the stony-faced augment.

'There is honour in death, honour which I will not share with you.' She hurriedly returned her attention to the door. Her muscles were tense, her heart beat jangled uncomfortably.

Was this how things really ended? Her sworn enemy with a front row seat watching her being torn apart by a small drove of Klingons? A thrill of fear traversed her spine, a sickening moment of weakness she detested herself for.

She felt so…

**_Alone_**.

Why hadn't she been able to die with her family in their last great battle? Courage was infectious and she would have been laughing in the face of their incoming enemy if she'd been there.

_BOOM!_

This took a different type of courage. One she wasn't sure she possessed.

'Sveta…'

Svetlanka felt cold shivers race down her spine as if someone had cracked an egg over her head. The name signalled back to a time long past, one where Khan would employ this nickname on a daily basis out of sheer familiarity. As she faced the augment, she found it simply absurd to think of a time when they could share each-others company for enjoyment instead of unfortunate necessity. His hands pressed against the clean glass; those hard eyes losing some of their diamond-roughness and were replaced with something far trickier to describe.

'I know where your nephew is.' His voice was quiet; it oozed a hypnotic power which easily allowed him to sway opposing arguers of his point of view.

'How can you? You've only been here for two hours.'

'Yes, and in that time I have been used as a blood bank by that festered client of yours. However, I also wheedled important information from the female doctor, a weak human who found herself irresistibly attracted to me. And yet you say humans are a race to be respected, even when they are so easily toyed with.' Svetlanka's eyes turned scarlet as she studied Khan's aura, and found to her astonishment that he was telling the truth.

'Tell me.' She ordered.

'Let me out and I will.'

_BOOM!_

'Now is not the time to adopt the human defect of indecision.' Khan implored. 'They are almost upon us! _Let. Me. Out!_' Svetlanka's thoughts circled towards her nephew and it was their possible reunion which motivated her next move. She strode to the side of the room and quickly over-rode the security pad, hesitating for only a moment before liberating the ship's most deadly prisoner.

Khan emerged like a panther from his cell, his powerful body slinking past the now invisible glass. His harsh, feline gaze glared at Svetlanka for a moment and she felt the doubt begin to claw at the back of her throat.

The lust for murder glinted in his eyes.

* * *

**Here I think I managed to capture Khan's manipulative nature more effectively compared with previous chapters. Also conducting research on Klingons was fun, their warring nature is very interesting! As always; rates, follows and favourites make my belly dance. Not the most pleasant of images but a fairly accurate description nonetheless. Reviews especially! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Dear readers,

Apologies for the lack of updates but I'm afraid this little note does not bear good news for you. I have read through this story a few times now and to put it bluntly; I'm not happy with it. I believe it to be rushed, far-fetched and does nothing to develop the fantastic characters which this movie has produced. I have no-one to blame but myself for this sloppy writing. I apologise profusely to those of you who still enjoyed it but with the way things are, I cannot continue with this story. My heart is not in it and I believe I have written too much to salvage the story by writing better chapters.

However, I am not abandoning my OC Svetlanka Kranst so easily. I have been doing some hard thinking and have put together a much better version of the story I have already published on this site. One which starts before the Eugenics war, examining Khan's interesting psyche in a manner which I have neglected to properly convey, something which I know find painfully obvious. It well then continue past the cryogenic freezing into my take on the new Star Trek: Into Darkness move. I have began work on this new story and I must admit, I feel much better about writing a story which holds a truer portrayal of Khan's brutal character.

Again I am sorry, this story will be deleted when I post the new chapters regarding Khan and Svetlanka's adventures. Prejudice Is Old-fashioned 2.0 if you will.

Your support has been fantastic, and I hope you understand.

Yours sincerely,

funkyrandomer.


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